


no goodbyes (we'll fly together)

by bytheinco_nstantmoon



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, Coming Out, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Family Bonding, Good Sibling Jonathan Byers, I don't even know what to tag this, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Jonathan Byers-centric, Light Angst, Male-Female Friendship, Marriage Proposal, Miraculous Ladybug - Freeform, Multi, Secret Relationship, The Author Regrets Nothing, and so self indulgent, and ur just gonna have to live with that, bc jonathan is a dumbass, bear with me ok, but it's a fun trip i promise!!!!, but just so you know his camera is named Betty, but they deserve it, didn't to make jon and robin such an epic bromance, dustin robin jane and steve are jim's adopted kids, i have so many, if ur wondering what the fuck this is..., it is a trip, jon doesn't know how to write pt 248465845, just realised that, kind of, not even the overuse of jonathan hcs, somehow photography....... never comes up in this??, that seems like valuable information, the working title for this was 'tis the season to be poly', this is so goddamn sappy, this is. something, wtf jon... ok, yeah thats fair, yes you read that correctly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:28:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 23,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27214195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bytheinco_nstantmoon/pseuds/bytheinco_nstantmoon
Summary: Nancy, Jonathan, and Steve's tenth anniversary is disrupted by respective family reunions; Jonathan has to meet his mom's boyfriend, Jim, Steve has to meet his dad's girlfriend, Joyce, and Nancy's mom, recently divorced and newly dating Owen Hopper, is going with him to see his brother for the holidays.Fuck.Maybe Jonathan should have told his mom about them.
Relationships: Jonathan Byers & Kali Prasad, Jonathan Byers/Steve Harrington/Nancy Wheeler, Joyce Byers/Jim "Chief" Hopper, Karen Wheeler/Original Male Character(s), Robin Buckley & Jonathan Byers, Robin Buckley/Kali Prasad, Will Byers/Mike Wheeler
Comments: 6
Kudos: 77





	no goodbyes (we'll fly together)

**Author's Note:**

> i don't know how to write i am so sorry. please enjoy. i tried my best. i needed this story written and it was way too specific and self indulgent to find anywhere else, so i am doing it myself. a few notes!!
> 
> 1) i meant for owen to be in this more!! i actually meant for everyone to be in this more,,, oops. but anyway he's hopper's brother, i won't bore you with details, but don't get turned away by me using an oc, please  
> 2) i already said this but i need everyone to know it. jonathan's camera is named betty. this is canon and i will not accept otherwise  
> 3) holly wheeler. that's it that's the tweet

“I can’t believe I’m doing this. I literally can’t believe I’m doing this.” Jonathan closed his eyes tightly, trying not to flinch at the feeling of Kali’s fingers in his hair. “Jesus  _ Christ _ \- can you be gentle, maybe?” She raked her fingers harder in reply.

Robin glanced up from her phone where she was perched on the counter. “Calm down, Rocky Horror. It’ll look good.”

“I still think you should have picked purple,” Dottie said, earning a glare from both Kali and Robin and a loud groan from Jonathan. She rolled her eyes. “Not that you’ll look bad. Purple is just better. More tacky. More... Nightmare Before Christmas.”

Jonathan twisted his head, ignoring Kali’s warning yelp. “What the  _ fuck _ did you just say about Nightmare Before Christmas?” Robin reached out and tilted his face back towards the mirror.

“There, there,” she soothed, patting his cheek. “We can watch your not-tacky Tim Burton movie later. Just let Kal finish.” She checked her phone. “Nance wants to know where you are, by the way.”

Kali’s fingers paused. “Did you not tell her you were coming over?” she asked incredulously. Jonathan winced at the look she was giving him in the mirror.

“Ok, in my defence-”

“Always a bad start."

“She was at work!” Jonathan protested. “I didn’t wanna bother her!” All three girls stared at him, unimpressed. “What if her text tone distracted her from her work? Then she’d be mad,” he tried.

Kali tugged her fingers through his hair again. Her face was twitching towards a smile. “Nance hasn’t had a text tone since 2015, moron.” She finished and kissed his cheek. “You just forgot.”

“...Shut up.”

Robin hopped off the counter. “Hot chocolate, anyone?” she asked, and then left without getting an answer. Dottie let out one of her strange, high-pitched noises of excitement and jumped up, scrambling after her. Kali watched them go with a soft smile that lingered long after the door to the bathroom closed. She caught sight of Jonathan’s knowing grin in the mirror as she washed her hands and rolled her eyes in reply, flicking water at his face. He stuck his tongue out in reply.

Kali snorted, wiping her hands on her jeans and leaning against the counter with crossed arms. “Yeah, very mature. You’re a real role model.”

“I should be,” Jonathan said, grinning, not serious in the least.

Kali’s smile softened. “You are.” He didn’t know what to say to that, so he stuck out his tongue again. Kali snorted and checked her phone. “You have to wait, like, twenty minutes, so you might as well text Nance.” Jonathan reached for his phone. “Wait!” She was grinning devilishly when he looked back up. “Don’t tell her. Make it a surprise.” She gestured at his head, just in case he wasn’t clear on what exactly the surprise might be. It was his turn to roll his eyes.

.

.

_ Jonathan: hey _

_ Nancy: oh HELLO _

_ Nancy: i’ve texted you like SIXTEEN TIMES _

_ Nancy: where are you _

_ Jonathan: i’m at kali’s, sorry. missed you _

_ Nancy: yeah, yeah, missed you too or whatever _

_ Nancy: that’s a joke I did miss you _

_ Nancy: very much _

_ Nancy: I HATE MY JOB _

_ Jonathan: )): quit _

_ Nancy: … _

_ Jonathan: ok, bad advice _

_ Jonathan: just come here so i can cuddle you, i guess _

_ Nancy: and THERE’S my clingy boyfriend _

_ Jonathan: I’M clingy??? you texted me sixteen times _

_ Nancy: seventeen actually i counted _

_ Nancy: and shut up, it’s cute _

_ Jonathan: yeah, it is _

_ Jonathan: wait, how am i your clingy boyfriend _

_ Jonathan: steve can’t even grocery shop without you _

_ Jonathan: traitor  _

.

.

They only lived fourteen minutes away, so once it had been half an hour and there was finally a knock at the door, Jonathan’s shoulders relaxed considerably. Nancy came bounding in as soon as the door was opened in a whirl of vanilla perfume and windblown hair, her whole face flushed pink. “Sorry it took so long, I-” She stopped short in the entrance to the living room, staring. Jonathan fidgeted awkwardly under her gaze.

“Uhm…” he ran a hand through his newly pink bangs, trying to get them out of his eyes. “Surprise?”

Nancy blinked. “Sorry, am I seeing this right?” she asked. Kali snorted. “Did you- who did this?” Jonathan pointed at Kali, throwing her under the bus without hesitation. Nancy crossed the room and pulled her into a hug. “I’ve been trying to convince him to dye his hair since high school, how the hell did you do it?” Kali shrugged, grinning delightedly. Nancy gave her a kiss on the cheek as she pulled away and then instantly rocketed straight into Jonathan’s arms, practically curling up in his hold. He pressed his nose into her hair, his whole body relaxing at the familiar scent of cherries. “You’re so cute. I love you,” she murmured. “And your sweater is really soft, wow, can I steal this?”

Jonathan laughed silently. She kissed his jaw, the warmth lingering long after the brief touch. “You steal it all the time,” he pointed out. She wrinkled her nose and shushed him. “Hey, don’t shush me, I-” Nancy cut him off with a kiss that they were both laughing into.

“You’re gross,” Kali said from the kitchen. Jonathan flipped her off without pulling away. He liked Nancy’s kisses. Kisses were good.

Nancy leaned back slightly in his arms, smiling up at him. He smiled back, distantly aware that he had been saying something but unaware to think of what it was. Mostly what he was thinking was how perfectly she fit in his arms, and how beautiful that smile was, and how he loved her so fucking much, and how she needed to know that, so he leaned in and kissed her again, because he  _ could.  _ Almost a decade later and it still amazed him that she allowed him in like this. She had chosen him, chosen  _ them, _ and who would have thought it would stick, but- oh, now he missed Steve.

“I want my boyfriend,” he said, looking around as if Steve might pop out of the woodwork. In the kitchen, he heard the girls laugh, but Nancy just nodded in agreement and kissed his cheek.

Her hand drifted up to his hair, running through it gently, her eyes sparkling. “He’s gonna  _ love _ this,” she said, sounding delighted. Jonathan flushed slightly and rolled his eyes. “No, I’m serious! Tonight is-”

“Nance, I love you, but I have limits,” Kali deadpanned as she came back, carrying three mugs. “Please. Keep your sex life out of my living room.” Nancy rolled her eyes. She had to untangle herself from Jonathan to take her hot chocolate- he restrained himself from pouting, but barely. Robin came in with her phone out, one thumb flying across the keys as she sipped her cocoa. Jonathan would never understand how she did that. His thumbs barely had the dexterity for a coherent message when he was using both of them.

Nancy dragged him to the couch and then immediately nestled into his side, pulling his arm around her shoulder. He kissed her temple. Brief and chaste. Kali still pulled a face. “I wasn’t even going to say anything sexual,” Nancy said, her voice too prim to be anything but a lie. Robin and Jonathan met eyes over her head, making the same face. “I was just gonna say that tonight when we see him, he will be very excited.”

“His  _ dick _ will be very excited.”

Kali pinched her nose. “Dots, don’t talk.”

Jonathan cleared his throat, hoping he wasn’t as red as he felt. Judging by Robin’s snigger, he definitely was. “Can’t we invite him over? I don’t want to wait until tonight. I didn’t see him this morning.” He was definitely whining a little bit, but fuck it. It was  _ his _ boyfriend and  _ he _ got to decide his clinginess. Nancy shook with silent laughter under his arm.

Kali raised an eyebrow at him, sipping her hot chocolate delicately. “You know you don’t live here anymore, right? You can’t just invite people.” Jonathan gave her a look.

“But don’t I?”

“Shut up.” But she was grinning.

Nancy patted his knee sympathetically. “I miss him too, hon,” she said. Kali rolled her eyes. Jonathan flipped her off again. “But he’s Face Timing Dustin right now. They have a family thing. Some get-together or something, I don’t know. For the holidays.” Jonathan sighed. “I know. It’s very sad.” She frowned suddenly, her cocoa sloshing onto his jeans as she twisted to get her phone from her pocket. “Shit. Sorry. Just remembered I was supposed to text my mom about Christmas.”

“You’re leaving  _ too?” _ Jonathan asked, feeling betrayed. They were gonna just leave him? On their anniversary? With hot cocoa on his jeans?

Robin frowned. “Aren’t you going to that reunion thing, though?” she asked skeptically, typing something else with her overly dexterous thumb.

Jonathan froze.

He had a flight to Ohio in three days.

He was going to visit his mom. In Ohio. In three days.

And his hair was pink.

“Shit.”

.

.

Look, ok, Jonathan didn’t mean to make it sound like he didn’t want to see his mom. He did, he really did. It was just that… you know, she’d grown up in rural Indiana and married into slightly less rural Indiana and then moved to almost suburban Ohio once she got tired of it there, so. Pink hair and tattoos weren’t exactly her thing, even if the tattoo was of a cartoon ghost and he’d gotten it on a dare last Halloween. He didn’t think “I was a little high and have poor decision-making skills” was going to be a great explanation. Of course he was excited to see his mom. He just wasn’t looking forward to any weird comments. And he wasn’t looking forward to lying for the tenth year running when she asked about his love life.

At this point, maybe he should just tell her.

.

.

When he called his mom that night, Katy Perry was playing in the background, and the thought of telling her dissolved immediately in favor of focusing on this much more vital point. “Is that Dark Horse?”

“Dammit, Jonathan, I’d finally tuned it out!” Her voice softened. “Sorry, didn’t mean to yell. Your brother’s been playing the worst playlist in the world all afternoon. On the upside, this place does have very nice speakers.”

Jonathan laughed, hoping it covered up the sound of Nancy dropping a knife in the kitchen. “That’s good. You still need to give me the address, you know.” Originally his mom had planned for this “reunion” (he still wasn’t clear on who was reuniting, but at this point he was too afraid to ask) to be at their house, but it turned out it was too small, so she’d rented a cabin for the holidays instead. Jonathan wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about staying the holidays in a strange place with strange people, but it was a bit late to back out now.

His mom swore under her breath. “Right. I’ll text it to you, I just-  _ Jane, put that down- _ keep forgetting. Sorry.”

“Wow, it’s like you don’t even want me there,” Jonathan joked.

“Of course we do,” she assured, but it was too quick and too brusque and. Well. It made Jonathan feel weird. “You’re coming soon, right?”

“Three days.” He couldn’t quite manage the enthusiasm from before. Steve glanced up at him from where he was doing a puzzle on the floor with a concerned frown.

“Three days,” his mom repeated. “Can’t wait to see you, honey.”

Jonathan cracked a small smile. “Yeah, you too. Love you.”

Once he’d hung up then Nancy dragged them into the kitchen, disregarding their protests. “I’m not getting crumbs on my damn carpet,” she said sternly. Jonathan elected not to point out the crumbled Pringles under the coffee table. “How’s your mom, babe?” she asked, nudging Jonathan’s ankle with her toes.

He smiled distantly. “She’s good. Sounds happy.” He poked at his plate. It was Nancy’s turn to make dinner. So, naturally, it was boxed mac n’ cheese and a baguette from the store, because they were functional adults very concerned with their health. Nancy had given him an annoyed look for drinking coffee at 8 p.m., but then Steve had sat down with a bottle of wine he’d labeled with his name, and she’d focused her reprimand on him instead. Unfortunately for her, Steve and Jonathan both had almost ten years of experience in disappointing her, so the glare was only mildly effective.

Jonathan tore off a piece of the baguette, staring pointedly at the wine. “Did you steal my label maker for that?”

“Maybe.” Steve gave him a charming smile. “But it’s  _ our _ label maker, right?”

“No, it’s mine.”

“Dammit, Byers.”

“Damn _ you, _ Harrington.”

“I love you.”

“Yeah, I love you too, but I love my label maker more.”

Steve gasped in mock offence and threw bread at him. Jonathan retaliated immediately, and they devolved into some kind of half-wrestling match that involved Jonathan on Steve’s lap and Steve’s hands in his hair, and ok, maybe they were making out, but that wasn’t the original intention.

Nancy took another bite of mac n cheese, watching them with the same expression she watched The Office, and said, “So, are we celebrating late, or..?”

Jonathan tried to extract himself from Steve, but he couldn’t figure out how to do that without tipping the chair, so he settled for looking over his shoulder at her. “Christmas?”

“I think she means our anniversary, honey,” Steve said. Jonathan wrinkled his nose and hid in Steve’s shoulder. “Wh- are you mad that we’re having an anniversary?”

“I’m mad that you’re  _ leaving _ me, yes.”

“Yeah, but I’ll be back as soon as I can!” Steve nosed at the spot above his ear. “Dad just really wants me to meet his girlfriend. I’ll beg off right after Christmas, I promise. It won’t even be that long.”

“Besides, both of us are leaving too,” Nancy pointed out. Jonathan huffed. “Hey, I’m not happy about it! Mom’s boyfriend is visiting his brother for the first time in ages, apparently, so I have to go? For some reason?” She stabbed viciously at her plate. “Even though she didn’t tell me about the divorce until it was finalised. But that’s fine. Everything’s  _ fine.” _

Steve eyed her cautiously. “If I offer kind words, will I get the same treatment as that macaroni?”

Nancy held it up, her face expressionless. “You mean will I use something long to roughly penetrate you? You’re gonna have to ask-”

“I hate you. I literally hate you so much.”

Jonathan reached for his coffee, sipping it carefully from the mess of limbs he and Steve had made themselves into. “Don’t say penetrate. Please.”

“It was for the sex joke!”

“Not a good enough reason.”

Nancy huffed. “If you can make the Twister joke, I can use penetrate.”

“Twister was basically made for that joke!” Jonathan defended.

“Not when you make it in front of our friends!”

Steve laughed loudly, right in Jonathan’s ear. Jonathan flinched at the volume and his coffee spilt on the floor. He winced. Maybe Nancy was onto something with the no eating in the living room rule. “No offence, Nance, but I’m pretty sure all our friends know we’ve had a threesome.”

Jonathan wrinkled his nose. “Don’t say threesome.”

“Is there anything we  _ are _ allowed to say?” Steve asked, still laughing. Jonathan tilted his head up to look at him. Briefly, he got distracted by the crinkles of Steve’s eyes, and the shadow of his nose, and the tint his wine (labeled as it were by thieving little hands) had left on his lips, and oh, he wanted to kiss him. So he did.

“You’re allowed to say you love me,” he answered once he had pulled away. Steve leaned right back in to kiss him again.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, label maker thief.”

Steve lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Hey, you wanna know something?” He gestured towards Nancy, who was watching them with a smile and a raised eyebrow. “I love her, too.”

Jonathan gasped like he was shocked. “No… her? Even though she beat you at Twister?” He paused. “Not that I didn’t  _ also- _ ow!”

Nancy huffed out a laugh. “That didn’t hurt. It was bread.” She circled the table and kissed the back of his head anyway. One hand rested on his shoulder, rubbing circles into it, while the other slipped into Steve’s hair. Steve leaned his head over onto her, his eyes closing in contentment. “I love you,” she added belatedly. Steve turned his head to kiss her stomach, because he was lazy, and Jonathan kissed her hip, because he was lazy and also sort of trapped in Steve’s hold. She made a giggling, snorting noise, biting her lip to suppress it, and then kissed both their foreheads.

Jonathan sighed, unable to help from smiling. “Okay. I guess I’m not mad at you guys.” It was mostly his fault for never telling his family, anyway. He knew they felt awkward hiding it for him. He was just… scared. “But for our twentieth, we’re all together, right?”

Nancy’s eyes softened. “Of course, honey.”

“Our twentieth, and our nineteenth, and our fifteenth, and our eleventh. And all those other numbers.” Steve added the second part hurriedly, as if they might think he didn’t know how to count to twenty. Nancy and Jonathan exchanged their patented We Love A Ridiculous Man smile. “And our other tenth. We’ll have that together too.”

Jonathan was surprised he didn’t go fully red at that. “Yeah. Our other tenth.” Nancy groaned loudly above them, and they both looked up at her, startled. “Sorry?”

Nancy paused in her pouting to correct him. “No, no, we’re definitely having another tenth, don’t worry.” She went back to pouting. “I can’t kiss you without leaning over.”

“Well, now you know how we feel all the time.”

“Oh, fuck  _ you, _ Byers.”

“Uh, he’s Harrington,” Jonathan reminded her. “I’m Byers.”

“Same thing,” Nancy dismissed. “Get up. Let’s watch Miraculous Ladybug and cuddle.”

Steve glanced down at he and Jonathan’s position and winced. “Not that your idea doesn’t sound amazing, but I have no idea how to get out of this.” Jonathan wiggled slightly. The chair tilted in a very worrying way.

It took about seven minutes, but with Nancy holding the back of the chair as stable as possible and Jonathan cursing his time spent joking during Twister instead of playing the game, they managed to separate themselves. Sort of. Okay, what actually happened was that Jonathan pulled his leg off Steve and went crashing to the floor, but hey. They were separated.

They instantly ended up tangled together again on the couch, but Nancy was between them this time and they were on even ground, so it was much better. Steve’s hand came up to Jonathan’s hair again, running through it. Nancy snorted. “Told you he’d like it.”

Jonathan hummed. “You also implied he would want to play Tw- ow!”

“Stop making the Twister joke!”

“God, what’s the  _ point _ of a wife if she won’t appreciate my humor?” Jonathan complained, shifting so that he could pull her further into his arms. Steve automatically shifted too, throwing his leg over both their laps so that his heel was pressed against Jonathan’s hip. (Steve was good at Twister.) (In every sense.) Nancy rolled her eyes goodnaturedly.

“I’m not your wife yet, doofus.”

Steve’s hand tightened in his hair, almost imperceptibly. “I very much would like to play Twister. No worries. Also, she buys you baguettes,” he pointed out, which was a very good point.

“I also bought the label maker,” Nancy added. “Which is, what, your third favorite thing? After Betty and A Walk to Remember, of course.”

Jonathan stuck his tongue out, but she kissed his chest and it melted into a fond smile. “That’s not my favorite movie and you know it.” Nancy snorted.

“Wait, so is it actually  _ her _ label maker?” Steve asked. There was a mischievous kind of twinkle in his eye.

“No, it’s mine.”

“It’s mine,” Nancy told him solemnly. “Everything in this apartment is mine.”

Steve smirked. “Everything?”

“Stop making that dumb face or I’m not playing Twister with you.”

“Wait, hang on, how come you get to make the joke?” Jonathan protested. Nancy just kissed him and got her phone out, pulling up Netflix. Steve eyed her screen closely. They’d had the Bluetooth setup so that they could cast to the T.V. for almost as long as they’d had the apartment, but he still had to make one of them do it for him every time. Jonathan didn’t understand how that pretty head worked sometimes. Anytime. Ever. It was a very pretty head, though. “Hey, Steve?”

“Hm?”

“I like your hair.”

“I like your hair, too.”

“You just like it ‘cause it’s pink.”

Steve huffed. “No.” He tugged Jonathan in and kissed him soundly overtop Nancy’s head. “I like it ‘cause it’s you. I like all of you.”

Nancy snuggled back into them as the show started playing. “Him? This guy?” She poked Jonathan’s chest. “Me too.”

“You don’t like my Twister jokes.”

Nancy smirked, her hand flattening against his chest. “But I like Twister.” Jonathan turned red. Both of them laughed at him, which was probably fair. “Okay! No more jokes. We can’t make sex jokes when there’s a children’s show playing.” Jonathan kissed her head in agreement, his forehead bumping into Steve’s because Steve also decided to kiss her head in agreement, so then he kissed Steve’s forehead, and then Steve kissed his forehead, and then Nancy kissed him both and told them to shut up, and they kissed over her head again to make her feel short. And then they all got way too invested in Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Jonathan ended up falling onto the floor again. But that was okay. He’d be okay laying on this living room floor for the rest of his life.

He watched Nancy kiss Steve in celebration of the akuma’s defeat and smiled his personal patented I Love Two Complete Dorks smile. Yeah. The rest of his life sounded good.

.

.

“And you’ll call me as soon as you get there.”

“Yes.”

“And you’ll send me pictures of everyone.”

“Yes.”

“And you’ll send me pictures of you with everyone.”

“Absolutely not.”

Kali shrugged. “Ok, I tried. I want at least one of you and your mom, though, okay?” Jonathan groaned. “Oh, don’t give me that. All my pictures of you are stolen off Robin’s Snapchat memories.”

“Not true,” Robin interrupted, although she was a bit muffled by the way Steve was clinging to her. “You screenshot his Instagram story all the time.”

Jonathan gave Kali a betrayed glare. She just shrugged and hugged him again. “Okay. We got this. Right?”

One of them off to Ohio with pink hair, ready to pretend he was straight and single, and one of them off to Indianapolis with her girlfriend, ready to reveal that the Robin she’d been telling her family about for years wasn’t a nice boy from the Architecture department after all. (Personally, Jonathan was pretty sure a kickass girl who’d graduated honors from both the Architecture and History departments was much better, but Jonathan wasn’t Kali’s dad, so.) 

“Yeah, we got this. You’ll let me know how it goes?”

“Of course. Give Joyce a million hugs from me.”

Jonathan kissed her head and let her out of the hug. “I’ll bring you brownies.” Kali pumped her fists in victory and then grabbed Robin’s wrist.

“Okay, Stevie, you gotta let go. C’mon. Give me my girl.”

Steve glared over Robin’s shoulder. “No. This is her punishment.”

Robin rolled her eyes, kicking her feet back and forth from where they were dangling near Steve’s shins. She’d tried kicking him, but Steve was used to it, so she’d given up. Jonathan watched them fondly, absentmindedly holding out his arm and letting Nancy tuck herself under it. “I said I’m  _ sorry,” _ Robin insisted. “You should have said you had an invite somewhere else! Nancy could have asked to invite you, or something.”

Steve frowned, finally setting her down, although he kept one arm around her. “Told you. Not telling any parents until Jonathan tells his mom.” Jonathan winced. “I’m not letting anyone think I’m monoamorous.”

“Aw, I didn’t know you knew a word that big.” Robin gave him one last hug before wiggling away. “I have to catch my flight, Steve. Say hi to Dad and the kids for me, okay?”

Steve sighed. “Okay. Call me!” Robin gave him a thumbs up as Kali dragged her away, and then it was just the three of them, standing in the big, noisy airport. Jonathan glanced at the time, wondering if he’d be able to properly say goodbye and still make his flight. They were shitty at goodbyes. He and Nancy reached out, pulling Steve into their hug. He sighed and kissed each of their heads in turn. “I love you guys.”

Nancy kissed his jaw. “We love you too, baby. This is going to be a good Christmas!”

“I’d rather be with you. I’m sure my dad’s girlfriend is amazing, I just…” he trailed off with another sigh. “I don’t even know her name, and we’re spending a whole holiday together? That’s… I don’t know. I rather watch the Miraculous Christmas special again and amaze the loves of my life with very simple holiday dishes.”

“Hey, just because we can’t cook-”

Steve cut her off with a kiss. “I’m being sweet. Shut up.”

“Also, I can cook,” Jonathan added. “It’s just you, babe.”

Nancy made an expression halfway between scandalised and fond that only she had ever been able to pull off. “You never use pet names,” she pointed out. Jonathan shrugged, flushing slightly.

Steve snickered. “He does in his head.”

“Shut up.”

“You’re gonna miss me,” Nancy sing-songed. Jonathan rolled his eyes.

“Of course I’m gonna miss you. What’s the point of a wife if I can’t think of her all day and night?”

Nancy made the same face again. “Not your wife yet, sweetie.” Steve kissed them both. He tasted like peppermint and coffee, which was a terrible combination, and Jonathan kissed him again just so that he would be able to taste it for as long as possible. “Fuck, how am I supposed to go a whole holiday without my idiots?” Nancy whined, holding onto them impossibly tighter. “You have to text me every day.”

“Of course, hon,” Jonathan said softly, and kissed her, too.

Nancy kissed him again as soon as he pulled away. “No, I’m not done with you. Kisses, please.”

“We’re in public.”

“I don’t  _ care. _ Kisses, Harrington. Now.”

Steve chuckled. “I’m Harrington. He’s Byers.” Nancy shrugged. “Speaking of-”

Jonathan cut him off. “No.” Steve and Nancy’s brows both wrinkled. “Not right now,” he corrected hastily. “When we get back, we can talk about changing our names all we want. Right now, though-” he kissed them both quickly. “-I have a flight to catch and a mother to disappoint, and if I’m thinking about marrying you that’s all that’ll be in my head until I see you again.” He pulled them both against him, inhaling their scent- vanilla perfume for Nancy, strawberry shampoo and cheap laundry detergent for Steve- and memorising the way they fit into his arms.

“I love you. Be safe, okay?” Nancy said. Steve was watching him with a face so soft and fond that Jonathan’s breath caught in his throat.

He untangled himself and reached out one more time to run a hand through the hair of the prettiest woman on the planet. “Of course, honey.”

Nancy caught his wrist in midair and pressed a kiss to his palm. “I like this pet names thing. Can you do that all the time?”

God, he loved her. “Yeah, okay,” he whispered, unable to get a real answer out. “I love you so much.” He reached out to squeeze Steve’s hand. “I love you, Stevie.”

Steve’s face split into a smile, but it was still so overwhelming adoring that Jonathan had to glance at his feet. “I love you too, Johnny.”

“I love you.” He was pretty sure Nancy thought he couldn’t hear the, “Jonathan Wheeler,” that she added softly to the end, but his heart seized up in his chest and he dove back in for another, desperate kiss from each of them. She laughed out loud as his arms locked around her. “You like that one?”

“I love that one. Might not work, though. Steve Wheeler isn’t the best.”

Nancy wrinkled her nose in thought. “Wheeler-Byers?” They both looked to Steve for approval.

“Wheeler-Byers,” he agreed, an arm sliding around her waist as Jonathan pulled away. “And I can finally ditch that bastard’s last name for good.” He caught Jonathan’s chin with his fingers and pulled him in, kissing his nose. “I love you, Jonathan Wheeler-Byers.”

“I love you too, Steve Wheeler-Byers,” he replied. “And I also love my wife-”

“Not your wife yet-”

“-But I do actually have to catch this flight.”

After one last round of kisses- they were shitty at goodbyes, okay?- he took off for his terminal, glancing back over his shoulder every few steps of the way. The last time, he couldn’t help but pause, watching as Steve scooped Nancy up into his arms, spinning her around. They were both laughing. Jonathan could swear he had the sun inside his heart.

Someone slammed into him, and he apologised hurriedly, glancing up at Steve and Nancy one last time before he turned around and squared his shoulders. Alright. He ran a hand through his bangs and sighed. At least nobody would see the ghost under his sweater.

.

.

Jonathan knocked at the door, waited two full minutes, and then knocked again. This time, the shouting laughter inside seemed to take notice, and footsteps came thudding over to the front door. He barely had time to brace himself as it opened before his arms were full of an overexcited artist in a Santa hat that had no right being as tall as he was. “Jonathan!”

“Will!” He squeezed him tightly. His face felt like it was threatening to split from his grin. “Hi! I missed you.”

“I missed you t-  _ Jonathan!” _ Will had pulled back and was staring at him with something between confusion and awe. “Mom, c’mere, you gotta see this!” Jonathan laughed, stepping inside and closing the door behind him.

His mom came around the corner, a whisk in her hand. “Is Jonathan finally here?”

“What do you mean finally?”

“Oh my God, did you dye your hair?”

“What do you mean  _ finally?” _ He threw his arm back around Will, grinning brightly, trying to quell the anxiety in his gut. “I’m right on time.”

Will scoffed, elbowing him. “You’re like, four days late, asshole.”

“Language,” Mom said automatically, and then shoved the whisk into her younger son’s hand, shooing him towards the kitchen. “Go, go. Go help Jim. He needs help.” Will laughed, bounding off out of the entryway. Mom cupped Jonathan’s face in her hands, smiling. He grinned back at her. “Oh, baby.” She pulled him in for a tight hug. Jonathan rubbed her back on instinct, just like he used to when he was a kid and every hug was for support. His mom didn’t need him to support her anymore, though. It was just love now. “It looks good,” she said, pulling back again to mess with his bangs. “You look good. You look happy.”

“I am happy.” He couldn’t stop grinning. “It’s been way too long.”

She patted his cheek. “Shouldn’t have been so busy, then.” Jonathan wrinkled his nose. He hadn’t been able to make it out for Thanksgiving because of work. He would have met Jim by now if he had- he’d felt bad, bailing on meeting Mom’s boyfriend, but his stupid boss wouldn’t let him leave.

“Yeah, blame Russ. I hate Russ.” She laughed, hugging him again.

A gravelly, half-amused voice came from the doorway to the kitchen. “This is Jonathan?”

Jonathan’s head snapped up. The man was clearly trying for a smile, although it looked sort of awkward on him. He didn’t seem like the smiling type. His eyes were soft, though, flicking back to Joyce every few moments like he couldn’t bear to look away, and reluctantly, in the back of his mind, Jonathan decided he couldn’t hold a grudge. Not when the unnatural smile got so much sweeter as Joyce returned it. He was tall, broad, wearing a striped sweater-

-and Jonathan couldn’t say a word, because he was strikingly, horrifyingly familiar.

“Jonathan, this is Jim,” his mom said. He smiled weakly, holding out a hand. Jim had a nice handshake. Firm, a little too tight. Just like his daughter. “Jim, my wild child.”

Jonathan most certainly was not the wild child, but his throat was completely dry, so he just laughed hoarsely and let go of Jim Hopper’s hand. Jim and Joyce glanced at each other, their smiles a little fixed. “Uh. Yeah. Nice to meet you. I hear, uh-” he licked his lips. “I hear you make really good pie.”

“And you missed it!” Will yelled. Jim chuckled.

“Well, I guess you’ll get to see for yourself, wild child,” he said. Jonathan nodded awkwardly, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Hey, you’re what, twenty-seven?”

“Twenty-six,” Jonathan corrected, rocking back and forth on his heels.

Jim nodded. “Twenty-six. I have a boy about your age.” Jonathan wanted to say, “I know,” but that would lead to a whole lot of questions he had nearly ten years of experience avoiding, so he nodded again instead. “He should be here pretty soon,” Jim added, and Jonathan’s stomach dropped.

“Oh. Should be nice to meet him, too. Unless he’s an asshole or something.”

Wow.

What the fuck, Jonathan.

“I mean-”

Jim’s snort was something like laughter. “Nah, he’s alright. Don’t you worry.” His hand twitched like he might clap Jonathan’s shoulder or something, but then he just smiled again and headed back into the kitchen. Jonathan blew out a breath. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught his mom’s anxious look.

He gave her a smile. “He seems great, Mom,” he said honestly. It wasn’t even a little sarcastic. Jim did seem great. He had already known that through stories, though. “I’m really happy for you.” Her face softened.

“Now if only I could find someone for you,” she said, patting his arm, and Jonathan almost said it this time. He took a deep breath, opened his mouth-

And got interrupted by a knock at the door.

Oh, irony, thou art a cruel player.

“I’ll get it.”

Joyce headed back for the kitchen. Jonathan closed his eyes, screwed up his courage, and then stepped outside, closing the door behind him. The cold stung his face sharply. “Hey.”

Steve’s mouth fell half-open.  _ “Jonathan?” _ He looked him up and down, eyes wide. “Holy shit. It’s you. It’s you?” He dragged him into a tight hug, pressing his nose into Jonathan’s neck. “What are you doing here? And where did you get this sweater? I want it.” The snow stung lightly as it landed on Jonathan’s exposed skin, but he just clung onto Steve, inhaling the scent of strawberries.

“It’s your sweater,” he answered. Steve laughed into his neck. “And yeah, uh-” he pushed him back reluctantly, wincing. “You know my mom’s boyfriend Jim?”

It took a second.

Steve’s mouth dropped open again. “No.  _ No.  _ What?” Jonathan nodded. “You’re fucking with me. How did we not know?”

“I don’t know! I’m kind of freaking out!”

Steve pulled him back in, running a hand through his hair. “That’s okay,” he said, although Jonathan couldn’t tell which one of them it was meant for. “That’s okay. This is okay. This is fine.” They stood there, holding onto each other, for a moment longer. “So we just have to, like, pretend we just met. That should be easy enough. Right?”

Jonathan reached up to brush back an errant curl from Steve’s bangs. “I guess. Fuck.” Steve leaned in, but hesitated at the last second, their lips not quite touching. “No, it’s fine. One kiss.”

“One kiss,” Steve agreed. And then one kiss turned into two kisses turned into three kisses turned into  _ Thank God nobody can see us from the windows at this angle _ because Jonathan’s back was up against the door and Steve’s hands were knotted in his sweater. Their sweater? The sweater.

They pulled apart as something clattered inside. Steve cleared his throat, running his hand through his own hair this time. “Right. That’s- that counts as one kiss.”

“Right. Yeah. Totally.” And then Jonathan tugged him back in, just briefly. “That’s one and a half, though.”

“Aw, you’re breaking the rules.”

“Well, my mom did call me her wild child. Need help with your bags?”

Steve flexed, looking smug. Jonathan rolled his eyes. “No. But we can pretend I do so that nobody’s suspicious of you taking so long.” That was a good enough plan. And it turned out Steve absolutely  _ did _ need help with his bags- “My hands are cold, I can’t grip them as well!”- so they made their way inside, dumping his stuff next to Jonathan’s by the door. “Okay! That’s that, I guess.”

“Hey, Steve!”

“Hey, Dustin! Fuckin’ midget. Hey, anyone know where my room is? I need to get this stuff somewhere.”

“Jesus, how much did you pack, kid?” Hopper asked, sticking his head around the doorframe. He glanced between the two of them and smiled. Jonathan did his best to return it. “Here’s the thing, uh- it’s not a huge cabin, and you two are pretty close in age, so...” he trailed off.

Jonathan’s shoulders melted a little in relief. “Oh, okay. That’s cool. I’ll just throw my stuff in there too. Steve can’t carry all his at once, anyway.”

“I can too! I told you my hands are cold-”

Jim pointed them in the direction of their room, up the stairs, last one on the left, and headed back to the kitchen. Jonathan grabbed his duffel bag and his backpack, because he packed like a reasonable person, and abandoned Steve with his four bags, suitcase, and… was that Nancy’s purse? “How’d you even get all of that on the airplane?” he asked ten minutes later, sprawled out on the bed as he watched Steve lug the last piece of luggage in. He glanced over to check the door was closed and then held out his arms.

Steve glowered at him, but fell into them easily anyway. “Paid extra.” It only took half a second for his betrayed expression to fall into a smile. Jonathan smiled back before he could help it. Steve had that effect.

“Of course you did. You’re ridiculous.”

Steve kissed his forehead. “Mhm.” His voice got quieter, though the crinkles by his eyes stayed the same. “You love me, though.”

“Is it that obvious?” Jonathan asked, feigning surprise.

Steve rolled them over, his elbows bracing on the pillow either side of Jonathan’s head. “You’re a terrible actor, Mr Wheeler-Byers.”

“Well, Mr Wheeler-Byers,” Jonathan replied softly, “I wouldn’t want to hide it from you anyway.”

Steve kissed him like his life depended on it.

.

.

Dinner was quiet, if quiet had been redefined into equalling the volume of a buffalo herd. Jonathan hunched over his plate, half as an attempt to hide from the chaos and half as a defence against Dustin, who kept stealing bites of his food. “You’re a brat.”

“You deserve it,” Dustin replied, and toasted him with his water. “Cheers, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Twilight Sparkle is  _ purple,  _ dipshit.”

On his other side, Max rolled her eyes at them. “You’re both dorks,” she said, and Jonathan got the feeling it was a compliment. Dustin shrugged and used Jonathan’s distraction as a chance to steal a bite of pasta salad.

“Oh my fucking God-”

“Language!”

Jonathan scowled and kicked Dustin’s leg. “I hate you.” Dustin smiled back charmingly. Steve snickered from his spot across the table. “You’re literally the worst. I hate you so much.”

Will leaned around Max with a frown. “Be nice to my friends.”

“Yeah, Jonathan,” Dustin echoed, stabbing a grape. “Be nice.”

“How can I be nice? You’re eating grapes with a fork.”

Will snorted and reached over to pat Jonathan’s arm. “Aw. You get used to it, Zinzie.” It would have been funny, except the light in his eyes was so obviously fake. Jonathan sunk down further in his seat, frowning. Will turned back to his conversation with Lucas, who was sitting next to Steve, putting ketchup on his pasta salad without a care in the world.

Max rolled her eyes. “Zinzie isn’t pink either. Also, she’s a bunny.”

“Who’s Zinzie?” Dustin asked, stealing another grape. Jonathan pushed the plate towards him.

Max gave him a scandalised look. “The flying rabbit?”

“From Barbie Mariposa?”

“Yes? How many flying rabbits  _ are  _ there?”

Dustin held up his hands in surrender. “My bad.” He was smiling, though. He pushed Jonathan’s plate back towards him.

Jonathan nudged it back. “It’s cool, man. Not hungry, anyways.” Dustin gave him an apprehensive look, but shrugged after a moment and accepted the extra food. Steve caught Jonathan’s eye from across the table, looking concerned. Jonathan smiled unconvincingly.

“-Jim’s brother should get here tomorrow,” Joyce was saying. On Steve’s other side, Jane gasped loudly, leaning forward in her seat. She clapped loudly once, twice. She nibbled at her bottom lip lightly, eyes wide, excitement shining out from every plane of her face. Just like her brother during the World Series. Joyce laughed, returning Jane’s gasp with a bright grin. “They just left the hotel! They had to pick up Holly, but-”

Jonathan and Steve’s eyes locked over the table.

Fuck.

Steve stood abruptly, almost knocking his chair over with the movement. “Sorry.” He hip-checked it back in, laughing slightly. It sounded pained. Jonathan winced. “Just, uh- smoke break?” Jim frowned disapprovingly. “Jonathan, wanna-” he jerked his head toward the back door and Jonathan hopped up with a little more grace. Joyce frowned disapprovingly, too. He gave her a sheepish smile.

The backyard of the cabin was a massive, sprawling thing, covered in trees and snow, with a frozen creek winking at them through the trees. They wandered into the bare forest, side by side, their breath coming out in little clouds. The only sound between them was the crunching of their footsteps. Steve reached out and took his hand. Jonathan held on tight, a little jolt of happiness running up through his heart at the familiar weight. Eventually, they reached the fence at the edge of the property. If Jonathan squinted, he could see the cabin through the bare trees, glowing in the darkening air. He swallowed hard.

“I mean,” he said, and Steve’s gaze darted up to him. He brushed snow off the fence and hopped up to sit on it. “At least we’ll all be together on the 21st.”

Steve joined him, kicking his legs in the air. “Yeah. Think we can get out of there?” Jonathan shrugged. “Maybe we can sneak her into our room.”

“Just like old times,” Jonathan replied. Steve laughed, knocking their shoulders together. “Hey, wait, don’t do that, I’ll fall.”

“Stop being so clumsy, then, Zin- hey!”

“Don’t call me Zinzie!”

“Aw, but you’re both so cute,” Steve said, pinching his cheeks. Jonathan wrinkled his nose. He opened his mouth, but Steve cut him off. “Don’t sexualise the cartoon.”

“I wasn’t going to? I was just going to tell you  _ you’re _ cute. Jesus.”

Steve lit up. “Oh! That’s okay, then.” He dove in for a kiss.

You know, you’d think after ten years, Jonathan would stop being surprised by things like that.

He could hear the laugh in Steve’s voice. “You okay, babe?” He closed his eyes with a groan. “Are you actually hurt? Shit-” Steve scrambled off the fence, reaching out. His hands fluttered everywhere, cupping Jonathan’s face, brushing back his hair, briefly touching his shoulders, his chest. “Sorry, sorry, just wanted to kiss you-”

“No, I’m okay- I’m okay- Steve!” He pushed the hands away, laughing. “Steve. I’m okay.” He sat up and tugged Steve in by the front of his shirt. “You can kiss me now.” And they’re sitting in the snow on the wrong side of the fence, and his head  _ is _ kind of throbbing, and it’s probably getting suspicious how long they’ve been gone, but the kiss is soft and sweet and Jonathan can’t care about anything else. “I can’t wait to marry you.”

Steve’s grin lit up just about the whole world. “I can’t wait to marry you either, Johnny,” he said. Jonathan rolled his eyes at the nickname and kissed him again, just to shut him up.

“You guys are disgusting.”

Steve groaned, flipping his brother off as he pulled away. “Yeah, and lucky it’s just you.” He hopped up and offered a hand to Jonathan. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me that Dad is dating Jonathan’s mom.” He paused, shuddering. “That doesn’t even sound right.”

Dustin shrugged, clearly unrepentant. “I figured you knew. Besides, it’s not like they’re married or anything. Yet.”

“God. I’ll fucking kill you.”

Dustin snickered. He scanned them over judgmentally. “You look like you were making out.”

“We weren’t,” Jonathan defended. “Technically. This time. Earlier, yes, but that’s not the point.” Dustin made a face. Steve just looked unduly smug. “Is it more or less weird if we get married before our parents?”

Steve climbed back over the fence. Jonathan waved off his help, but ended up with Steve’s arm around his waist anyway. “Less. Then it’s just like… two people getting married who happen to also have children who are married.”

“That’s still weird.”

“Shut up, Dustin.”

“Yeah, shut up, Dustin.”

Dustin shoved their shoulders together. “Do you always just copy your boyfriend?”

Steve scoffed. “Uh, I think you mean fiance?” Jonathan twined their hands together tightly and squeezed. Steve kissed his forehead.

“I don’t think you can be fiances if you haven’t asked Nancy,” Dustin pointed out. Steve swore under his breath and fumbled at his pocket. “Oh my  _ God,  _ don’t propose over text.”

“I was going to call!” Steve defended. Dustin and Jonathan gave him matching looks. “Oh, shut up. It’s not like this is our official proposal. I’ll do a big fancy one later, I just need her to agree.”

Dustin groaned, his head rolling back. “I wish Dad never adopted me.” Steve stuck his tongue out at him. Dustin returned it with no hesitation.

“Children,” Jonathan said, as condescending as he could. It was pretty condescending, not to brag. He’d learned from the best (Nancy).

He earned a scoff from both of them. “You cried over an ugly lemon at the grocery store,” Steve reminded him, and Dustin lost it. Jonathan dropped his traitorous boyfriend’s hand. “Hey!”

“We’re almost back to the house anyway. Love you.”

“Yeah, yeah, love you too, asshole.”

.

.

_ Steve: hey, nance, wanna get married _

_ Jonathan: HOW MANY TIMES DID I TELL YOU NOT TO PROPOSE OVER TEXT _

_ Steve: SHUT UP ITS NOT A REAL PROPOSAL YET _

_ Nancy: ok first of all _

_ Nancy: why are you even asking? Jonathan calls me his wife everyday, of course we’re getting married _

_ Jonathan: i love my wife _

_ Nancy: not your wife yet, homeboy _

_ Jonathan: can’t tell if that was a friend zone or not _

_ Jonathan: boyfriend zone? _

_ Nancy: it’s the love zone _

_ Jonathan: awwwww _

_ Steve: you guys are disgusting _

_ Steve: i adore you _

_ Jonathan: uh come kiss me then _

_ Steve: close the door _

_ Jonathan: you close the door _

_ Steve: no _

_ Jonathan: ok i’ll close the door _

_ Steve: aw _

_ Steve: he wants to kiss me so bad it’s EMBARRASSING _

_ Nancy: right, because jonathan wanting to kiss you is very new and baffling _

_ Nancy: wait _

_ Nancy: are you guys in the same room right now? _

_ Steve: right yeah so about that _

_ Nancy: WHAT _

_ Jonathan: it’s joyce and jim’s fault _

_ Nancy: oh my god _

_ Nancy: oh my GOD _

_ Steve: on a completely unrelated note, what are the wheelers up to? _

_ Nancy: kissing without me, apparently _

_ Jonathan: ok that was actually really cute but i thought we established we’re the wheeler-byers? _

_ Nancy: we’re not married yet! i can call you the wrong name if i want! _

_ Jonathan: you can call me anything, babe _

_ Nancy: stop that _

_ Nancy: you’re cute _

_ Nancy: i hate it _

_ Jonathan: i love you too, mrs wheeler-byers _

_ Steve: i’m blocking you both _

_ Jonathan: you can’t block me i’m on top of you _

_ Nancy: don’t you fucking dare play twister without me _

_ Jonathan: WE WEREN’T GOING TO _

_ Jonathan: we’ve only made out once _

_ Steve: twice _

_ Jonathan: we’ve only made out twice _

_ Jonathan: also i’m not having sex when my mom is in the house _

_ Steve: way to ruin the mood _

_ Jonathan: there was no mood, steven _

_ Steve: fair enough…………… anthony _

_ Nancy: oh no _

_ Nancy: are you making out or is there a homicide occuring _

_ Nancy: hello? _

_ Jonathan: hi what’s up (: _

_ Nancy: where’s steve _

_ Jonathan: nowhere what’s up (: _

_ Nancy: aww but i wanted to marry him _

_ Jonathan: him?????? _

_ Jonathan: [steve.jpg] _

_ Jonathan: this guy?????? _

_ Nancy: yeah _

_ Jonathan: yeah me too _

_ Steve: i’m gonna marry you guys so fucking hard. so hard. ur gonna scream from how hard i marry you _

_ Jonathan: don’t say… anything? like that, ever again _

_ Nancy: i’m gonna… penetrate those legal bindings _

_ Jonathan: i’m blocking you both _

_ Nancy: noooooooo _

_ Nancy: i love you _

_ Steve: he put his phone in the closet _

_ Nancy: right, so he still has it, why isn’t he answering me _

_ Steve: he says he’s not marrying you anymore _

_ Nancy: aw _

_ Nancy: that’s a goddamn lie and he knows it _

_ Steve: he doesn’t get a choice _

_ Nancy: of course not _

_. _

_. _

_ Nancy: YOU’RE SUCH FUCKING TRAITORS _

_ Jonathan: WHY ARE WE YELLING _

_ Nancy: MOM JUST SAID “OH I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE JOYCE” WHAT THE FUCK IM IN THE DRIVEWAY YOU FUCKING LOSERS _

_ Jonathan: TO BE FAIR _

_ Jonathan: WE WERE GOING TO TELL YOU _

_ Jonathan: BUT THEN YOU WERE CUTE AND WE GOT DISTRACTED _

_ Nancy: ...that’s fair, i am very cute _

_ Nancy: come say hi _

_ Jonathan: it’s literally two in the morning _

_ Nancy: yes but i’m in the driveway and karen just asked your mom if you’re here _

_ Jonathan: fuck _

_ Jonathan: ok i gotta change out of steve’s clothes see you in a sec _

_ Nancy: you’re so clingy it’s embarrassing _

_ Jonathan: i love you too you fucking weirdo _

_. _

_. _

Jonathan stuck his head down the stairs. The group in the entryway was whispering, clearly trying to wake anyone. Joyce and Karen were hugging, quietly yelling their greetings in each other’s ears. The man that had to be Jim’s brother- Jonathan couldn’t remember his name right now- had an arm around Mike, who was scowling but allowing it. Jonathan couldn’t even remember the last time he’d seen Mike face to face. He was tall, Jesus. Jonathan felt mildly intimidated.

He finally found the person he was looking for, closing the door behind her. His heart caught in his throat for a moment. She was wrapped up in a big white sweater that she’d stolen from Steve, her scarf wrapped snugly around her throat, and flannel pajama pants that matched his (Kali had bought them a matching set of pajamas for Christmas senior year, with a note that said “maybe you’ll remember to sleep more.” And she was wrong.) Her hair was down, tucked back with a black headband, dusted with snow, and-

And she glanced up, catching his eyes, and he’d never been more in love.

Holly poked her head around Nancy and waved. Jonathan waved back, descending the staircase as quietly as he could. Karen’s face lit up as soon as she saw him. “Jonathan!” He gave a smile and another wave, feeling kind of dorky. Mike gave him a short nod. Jonathan rolled his eyes and pulled him into a hug.

“You’re awful,” Mike said plainly. Jonathan shushed him. “I hate you.”

“I hate you too, Michael.” He patted his shoulder as he pulled away. “How’s the band?”

Mike’s face lit up, but Nancy put a hand over his mouth. “Nope. No. You can talk about the band tomorrow. I’m saying hi to my friend now.” Mike rolled his eyes. Jonathan chuckled quietly, pulling Nancy into a hug of her own. She buried her face in his shoulder instantly. “It’s been too long.” It had only been a day. Jonathan knew she meant it anyway.

“I missed you too.”

“Good. I’d be mad if you didn’t.”

“You’re going to be mad anyway.”

“Yeah, asshole, you’re wearing the same pants as me.”

“They came off the same website, Nance.”

“I hate you.”

“Okay.”

When he pulled back, Karen and Joyce were watching them with matching amused expressions. Nancy rolled her eyes and held onto him tighter. He wasn’t sure what point she thought she was making, but he just patted her head and then tucked it under his chin. Nancy made a soft, “oh!”, as if she’d forgotten he could do that. Jonathan had one arm wound around her, resting against the small of her back. He stuck the other one out to shake Karen’s boyfriend’s hand.

“Owen Hopper.” His handshake was just as firm as Jim’s, but it felt more like an acceptance, not a microaggression. “Sorry if we woke you.”

“I’m not,” Nancy said, muffled by his chest.

“Jonathan Byers,” he replied, ignoring her. “Glad I got to meet you.”

Owen glanced at Nancy. “And get attacked?”

“That too.” He drew back his hand to wrap around her again. “You gonna let go, Nance?” She moved her arms up to his neck- one at a time, like she was afraid he’d move away if she let go altogether- and hopped up to wrap her legs around his waist. “Wha-” He stumbled, but regained his balance and sighed. “I’m not this strong.”

She shrugged.

“You’re a parasite.”

“Yes.”

Owen leaned over to Karen. Jonathan was mostly distracted by figuring out if Nancy was mumbling because her face was hidden in his neck or because she was falling asleep, but he still picked up on the whisper. “You didn’t tell me Nancy had a boyfriend?”

Nancy twisted her head with a frown. “He’s not my boyfriend. We’re married.”

“We are not.”

“Okay, we’re not. But we could be.”

“Mm. No.”

“I hate you.” She looked back at Owen. “We’re just friends.”

Owen blinked. “Okay.”

Jonathan cleared his throat awkwardly. “We’re… close,” he felt obliged to add. Nancy shook with silent laughter, ducking her head into his neck again. “Mom, where does this one go?”

Joyce had her hand pressed over her mouth, clearly trying not to laugh. Jonathan appreciated the effort she put into repressing her chuckling, although her voice was shaky with it as she replied. “The third door on the right upstairs.”

Nancy gave him a suspicious look. “Are you going to drop me on the stairs?”

“Well, I’m not very strong, so I’m going to drop you at  _ some  _ point. I have no way of knowing whether that’ll be on the stairs or not.”

“Are you saying I’m heavy?” she asked, as if that was something she’d ever cared about.

Jonathan rolled his eyes. “Obviously not. You’re two inches tall.”

Joyce  _ did  _ start laughing this time, along with Mike. Jonathan just shifted Nancy’s weight in his arms and carried her upstairs. He didn’t drop her, luckily. Unluckily, he reached her bed and tried to deposit her, but she just… kept clinging. He wasn’t even holding her up.

He sighed. “Do you want me to lay down with you?” She nodded into his shoulder. “Okay. I have to go back to my room soon, though.”

“Don’t care,” she mumbled. “Just want some cuddles.”

Jonathan laid them both down carefully, running his hand through her hair again. She snuggled closer to him and kissed his shoulder. “Missed you, sweetheart.”

“Missed you too.” She held on tighter. “Missed you lots and lots.” He loved Tired Nancy. She was almost as funny as Drunk Nancy or Hey If You Lose This Bet You Should Get A Tattoo Nancy. (He loved every part of Nancy, obviously, because. Well, because everything. Because she was Nancy and he was Jonathan and no matter what, he’d be loving her to the grave.)

He kissed her forehead gently. “Steve is gonna be so happy to see you.” She looked up at him with a sleepy smile. “I can’t fall asleep here,” he whispered, and she sighed, but relinquished her grip. “Goodnight, Mrs Wheeler-Byers.”

“Mm. Goodnight, sunshine,” she murmured in reply, already halfway to unconscious. He chuckled and flipped off the light, closing the door as softly as he could behind him.

.

.

And yet, he still woke up with her in his arms.

“Didn’t I put you in the other room?”

She blinked up at him innocently. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jonathan sighed and allowed her to wrap around him, a smile twitching onto his face. He could feel Steve’s warmth against his back. One arm was tossed over them. It was bliss.

Steve’s voice was gravelly with the dregs of sleep. “She couldn’t sleep without us.” Nancy scowled at him over Jonathan’s shoulder. “What? It’s cute.”

“It’s very cute,” Jonathan agreed. Nancy huffed and kissed his jaw. “Mm. I love you.”

“Love you too.”

“Love you also.” Nancy and Jonathan wrinkled their noses. “What? It has a ring to it,” Steve protested, his words mostly muffled into Jonathan’s hair. Nancy rolled her eyes and then rolled out of bed, smoothing her hair and pajamas down as she stood.

“It doesn’t. You sound like Spock.”

“Spock and Steve would fit in the same crossword space,” Jonathan said, which sounded a lot dumber once he said it out loud. Nancy raised an eyebrow at him.

Steve bit his neck. Jonathan yelped, smacking Steve’s hands away. “You bullied me first, Byers.”

“You bully me all the time!” Jonathan exclaimed. “You called me Wednesday for six months!” Steve opened his mouth to argue, paused, and then closed it again, shrugging in acceptance. Jonathan huffed and wriggled out from under his arm to stand up. One arm slid around Nancy’s waist, just in case she was about to leave, and reeled her into his side. “You bully me too,” he informed her, earning a scandalised gasp. “But you were very cute last night, so it’s okay.”

Steve sounded morally offended. “What do you mean I wasn’t cute?”

“You proposed to my wife over text!”

“Yeah, well-” he huffed, throwing a pillow at Jonathan’s face. “Yeah!”

“Yeah!”

Nancy shook her head and pulled away, heading for the door. “Not your wife yet. Gotta get back to my room so that my mom doesn’t suspect anything indecent. Jonathan, honey, remember to brush your teeth  _ before _ breakfast, okay?” Jonathan’s mouth dropped open in a new round of offence, but she was gone before he could make a retort.

Steve snorted. “We sure got lucky, didn’t we?” When Jonathan turned to look at him, he was sitting up in bed, drowning in rumpled blankets and a big grey sweatshirt, eyes dancing and hair all stuck up to one side. His cheek was imprinted from the pillow.

Jonathan smiled, crawling back into bed next to him. “Yeah. I did.”

.

.

Jonathan wandered out into the backyard again that afternoon and found a spot under a tree where he could settle and call Kali. She picked up on the second ring. “Yello?”

“Hey, Kal.” He sounded more exhausted then he meant to. “How’s Indiana?”

Kali groaned for five full seconds. “I never want to come back again. They took the Robin news pretty well, though. I guess. Dad called me a slur, but only once. That’s better than expected.” Jonathan cringed in sympathy. “How’s Ohio?”

“Well.” He kicked at the snow. “My mom is dating Steve’s dad.”

There’s silence on the other end of the line.

“Kal?”

“...Repeat that.”

Jonathan pinched his nose, a tired laugh slipping out before he could help it. “My mom is dating Steve’s dad,” he repeated. “And Steve’s uncle is dating Nancy’s mom. And we’re all here at a fucking family reunion, and I still haven’t come out to my mom, and our tenth anniversary is in three fucking days, and my brother is acting really weird, and I don’t think my mom actually wanted me to come, and I don’t know what to do. Fuck!” He kicked the snow again, harder. “Please tell me you’re going home soon. I’ll meet you there. Even if it’s before Christmas. I want to see you so bad.”

Kali took a second to reply again, but he could hear her breathing, and that in itself was calming enough. “Okay. Let’s just get this straight.” She had her de-escalation voice on, which normally felt condescending but was more like a saving grace right now. “Let’s talk about your mom, okay?”

“Okay,” Jonathan agreed. He pulled his knees up to his chest, keeping an eye on the door so that he would see anyone coming outside.

“You think she didn’t want you to come?” Kali prompted.

Jonathan swallowed hard, tracing a pattern on his jeans. “Before I left, when I called her, she was kind of weird about it,” he started. “And now, like… she’s not being dismissive or anything, but it doesn’t feel the same. This morning at breakfast, she kept giving me these looks, like… like… I don’t know, like she was  _ disappointed.” _

“Is it about the hair?”

“I don’t think so. She told me it looks good when I first got here.” He took a shaky breath. “It’s not just her, though. Will is… I think he’s avoiding me? He hugged me yesterday, but he hasn’t said anything to me since dinner. It’s like everytime I walk into a room, it’s right when he’s walking out.”

“Maybe he’s just going through something?” Kali suggested. “I mean, maybe Jim-” Jonathan groaned. “Jonathan!”

“Sorry, sorry,” he apologised. “I just… I don’t want to think about it like that.”

“Why?”

Jonathan hesitated. Scratched at his knee. “Because,” he said quietly. “If it’s something like that, then it’s not gonna just go away. And I need it to go away. Because if it doesn’t, then that just means-” his voice cracked. “-that just means he doesn’t need me anymore. And I can’t handle that.”

The wind whistled through the trees. In the middle of the big Ohio backyard, Jonathan suddenly felt very, very small.

Oh.” Kali’s voice came out on a sigh. Jonathan swiped angrily at his eyes, trying to stop them from watering. “Jon…”

“It’s fine,” he said roughly. “It’s- it’s all fine. I’m sure he’s just… I don’t know.” He let out a long breath. “How’s Rob?”

Kali hesitated, but accepted the change in subject. “She’s okay. She gets along with my mom weirdly well? They’re making a cake.”

“God, I want cake.”

“Come to Indianapolis, then.”

He laughed. The back door opened; from the corner of his eye, he watched Will step outside, catch sight of him, and freeze. He looked down at his feet. “I wish. I miss you.”

“I miss you too. Go have fun with your family, okay? You can text me whenever you need to.”

There were footsteps crunching across the snow towards him. “Yeah, okay. Have fun with your dad.”

Kali groaned. “I hate him, oh my  _ God. _ Give Stevie and Nance hugs from me?”

“Of course. Call you later, Kal.”

“Okay. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

Will flopped down next to him, mirroring his drawn up legs. “Who was that?” he asked. There was a forced grin on his face. It faltered as he caught sight of Jonathan’s face. “Are you- hey, were you crying?”

“No,” Jonathan replied. It was too quick. Will frowned. “That was Kali.”

Will hummed, shifting. “Did she upset you?”

Jonathan bumped their shoulders together, giving Will a little smile. “No. I’m okay.” Will didn’t look convinced. “I mean it, kid.”

“Not a kid,” Will replied automatically. He held up his pinky. “Promise you’re okay?”

Jonathan hesitated, but wrapped their pinkies together. “Yeah. I’m okay.” Will nodded. They sat there in silence for a while, just breathing together. It still felt tense. Jonathan wasn’t sure how to resolve that, so he just picked at a thread in his jeans, frowning. “Are you mad at me?”

“Huh?” Will looked taken aback. “What? No. I’m not-” His face contorted slightly for a moment. “It’s fine. Everything’s fine.”

But he wouldn’t meet his eyes.

Jonathan breathed in deep. Felt the winter wind sting at his throat. Breathed out. “If you’re sure.”

“I’m sure.” Will leaned his head over onto Jonathan’s. “We’re good, okay? I love you.” It sounded like it stuck in his throat. Like it was hard to say.

That made it much harder for Jonathan to manage, “Okay. I love you too.” It came out as a whisper.

Will kept leaning on him. He just kept staring at the snow.

.

.

By the time they got back inside, the living room was halfway transformed, something was on fire, and Nancy had tinsel in her hair. Jonathan and Will exchanged a horrified look. A scream echoed from the entryway, and Jane came running through, and oh shit, was that knife, and  _ why the fuck was Steve standing on the coffee table? _

_ “Steven!” _ Jonathan yelled on instinct. Will cracked up immediately.

Nancy glanced over her shoulder. The tinsel was also tangled in her shirt and her bra strap, hanging down over her chest. A grin broke over her face. “You sound like me!” she exclaimed, delighted.

“Why do you sound so  _ happy  _ about that?” Steve cut in, crossing his arms tightly.

Nancy hit him with the tinsel. “Get down. You’re going to fall.”

“Make me!”

“Jonathan,” Nancy whined. “Get him  _ down.” _

“How am I supposed to do that? Knock the table out from under him?”

“Yes! Break it!”

“No, what the hell, I was kidding!”

Steve finished hanging evergreen on the ceiling fan and hopped down on his own, throwing a casual arm around Nancy’s shoulders. “Worry not, Wheeler-”

“Worryler,” Jonathan added. She hit him with the tinsel.

“-I have returned triumphant,” Steve finished, shooting Jonathan a glare. “And now! My next quest! Alcohol!” Nancy rolled her eyes and ducked out from under his arm, shoving him in the direction of the kitchen. Jonathan automatically welcomed her against his side, one hand resting on her hip as her head laid against his shoulder.

“This is okay, right?” she whispered. He nodded, watching as Steve rifled through the fridge for a drink. “Are you checking out his ass?”

“No? I mean, I am now that you mentioned it, but-”

Nancy laughed, leaning further into him. “Aw. Did I distract you?”

“More like I was looking for a distraction  _ from _ you,” he teased. She elbowed him in the ribs.

Will had joined forces with Max and Dustin, attempting to hang stockings on the fireplace. Evidently, this was going badly, because only one was up so far, and Will was cursing loudly because he’d got his foot stuck between the slats of the fire guard. Neither Max nor Dustin looked terribly inclined to help him. Mike, on the other hand, was behind him, laughing but holding on- “Hey, they’re doing that thing we do,” Nancy murmured.

Jonathan squinted, and yep, sure enough, one of Mike’s hands was gripping Will’s hip, the other wrapped around onto his chest, and both of Will’s arms were bent backwards at a weird angle for the express purpose of linking his fingers through Mike’s belt loops, which Jonathan knew from experience was only helpful if you wanted to pull someone’s hips closer, which-

Max rapped Will’s shoulder, and his gaze flickered over to Jonathan for half a second before his hands flew up to grab onto the mantle instead. Mike grabbed onto his shoulders and- huh.

“Oh my God-”

“Shush,” he whispered. “Look casual.” Nancy instantly whipped towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “No, wait-  _ Nancy!” _ She blinked innocently. There was no hint of fear on her face even as he stumbled, which would be kind of sweet if it wasn’t entirely undeserved. “I’m going to drop you someday.”

“Yeah, but you haven’t yet!” she replied cheerfully. “Now carry me to Steve.”

“No?”

“God, what  _ use  _ are you?”

“Well, what’s the point of-” he cuts himself off, because he can’t make that joke in the crowded living room, and says, “wait, here. Let me carry you bridal style instead.”

Nancy complied, somehow managing to swing her legs around without letting go of him. “Are we getting married?” she asked. He rolled his eyes. “I’m your cool and casual bride.”

“I don’t know what that means?”

“You don’t know what anything means.”

“Not true! I can explain the entire plot of the Miraculous Ladybug Christmas special,” he defended. She patted his chest and pointed to the kitchen. “Hm. No.” Nancy groaned, her head falling back, and he pulled her closer on instinct, worried for a moment that he’d drop her. “He’s coming back, idiot.”

Nancy glared up at him. It wasn’t very threatening, considering she was draped in tinsel and also scooped into his arms, but he managed to restrain himself from leaning down to kiss her, so that was a point in his favor. “How am I the idiot? You can’t even spell your own name,” she shot back. Unfortunately for her, the sofa was right there, so Jonathan promptly dropped her onto it.

A pair of arms draped over his shoulders, and he half turned his head to find his mom there, grinning up at him. He grinned back. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Jonathan.”

Nancy kicked his knee. “Can you spell that?”

“It was one time, shut  _ up!” _

Joyce pressed her face into the back of his shoulder. He could feel her laughter reverberating through him and his scowl lifted with it. “Hey, honey?” she said, tilting her head up again. He hummed in acknowledgment. When he found her eyes, they were strangely solemn despite the smile still on her face. “I’m proud of you.”

He felt his ears go red. “Oh. I haven’t really done anything-”

“Shut up,” Nancy and Joyce said at the same time. Nancy had sprung up to her feet, and she stepped closer, wrapping her arms around his waist. “You’ve done everything,” she insisted.

His mom stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. “You’re a good man. Even after your dad, and all the mistakes I made, you’ve always been so good. I just… I’ll always be proud of you. Even when we don’t see eye to eye. I love you so much, okay?”

“I love you too, Mom.” He could feel a frown dancing on his lips. “What’s all this about? Is something going on?”

She hesitated. “No.” That was clearly a lie, but Jonathan just pasted on a tight smile and accepted it. “You’ll just… you’ll see. Just know that I love you. And your brother loves you.” Nancy gave him a look, her eyes sparking with realisation, but Jonathan just blinked back at her. What were they realising, exactly? He was still lost.

“Yeah, of course. I love you guys. Will’s the best,” he said. Joyce smiled- were those  _ tears  _ in her eyes?- and reached up, patting his cheek. “You okay?”

“I’m okay. Are you okay?”

“I’d be better if Nancy let go and I could breathe, but other than that-” she kneed him in the thigh. “Why do you hate me?”

“Carry me to Steve!”

“Steve is coming back to this room, why do I need to carry you to him?”

Nancy paused. “Okay, well, I can’t say that in front of your mom, so-” he shoved her onto the couch again. “I was  _ kidding!”  _ Joyce was laughing against his shoulder again. “I’m funny!” Nancy insisted.

Jonathan stuck his tongue out at her. “You never think my jokes are funny,” he retorted. Nancy gave him a look. “Shut up, my puns are great.”

“They’re awful.”

“That’s the same thing.”

“Aw! Like when I told my highschool boyfriend the sex was gr-” he levelled her with a look. “Okay, fine, I’ll shut up now.”

Joyce patted her head. “Maybe just make jokes that aren’t about sex,” she suggested.

“I tried that! I made a joke about how Jonathan can’t spell his name-”

“It was one time!”

“One time what? One time playing Twister?” Steve asked, reappearing.

Nancy snatched up a pillow and smacked him with it. “Don’t make sex jokes in front of Ms Byers!” Jonathan pinched his nose, sighing.

His mom patted his arm. “I’m glad you and Steve are getting along,” she said, a little quieter. Nancy and Steve, caught up in some kind of teasing argument that had her clambering up onto her knees on the couch and grabbing his shoulders, didn’t hear. Jonathan ducked his head, feeling his face flush. “Hey. I mean it. I just… I’m glad it’s getting easier for you. Letting people be there for you.” Her eyes were so open, earnest, and Jonathan smiled, but-

But the warm feeling in his chest curdled, because he was such a goddamn  _ liar. _

Joyce’s face dropped when his did. She reached out, her hands hovering around his shoulders, but he cringed away. “Jonathan? Jonathan, I didn’t mean-”

“No, it’s okay. It’s not you. It’s just-” he pressed his lips together. “I need a minute.”

“Jonathan-”

He darted out of the room before the empty, guilty look in her eyes could stop him. As he left, he could swear he heard someone say, “Oh, finally,” and it sounded like Will, and it probably wasn’t correlated, but could he really say probably? Could he really be so sure?

He wanted to hide in his room, but his legs were shaking too hard to carry him all the way upstairs, so he slumped down halfway up and let his head fall onto his knees. Fuck. He was so fucking screwed.

“You look sad.”

“I’m in love with your sister,” he replied, because hey, fuck it. To her credit, Holly just nodded and patted his knee. “Your sister is in love with me, too. We’re gonna get married.”

“I wanna be a bridesmaid.”

“Sure. I gotta ask Nancy and Steve, though.”

Holly tilted her head curiously. “Why would you need to ask Steve?”

Moment of truth, Byers.

“I’m in love with him, too.”

And it was as easy as that.

And Holly paused for a moment, and then she nodded. “Okay. Steve seems cool.” She had her hair in braids. She used one of them to flick Jonathan’s shoulder. “How long have you guys been together, espresso despresso?”

Jonathan hummed. “Ten years on the 21st.”

“Wow.” Holly flicked him with her braid again. “That’s only three years younger than me.” Jonathan snorted. “You’re old,” she teased, and then leaned her head on his shoulder. “Why does Mom always talk about setting you guys up, then?”

Jonathan gave a nervous laugh. “Yeah, so, uh-”

“You haven’t told her?” Holly asked incredulously. She hit him with both braids this time. “A whole decade, and you haven’t told her?”

“It never came up!”

“Oh, it came up plenty! She talks about you all the time!”

Jonathan’s mouth worked uselessly for a minute before he let out a groan, dropping his head in his hands. “Okay, fine,” he mumbled. “I just didn’t want to tell my mom, alright? I don’t know, I just… I was always supposed to step in, ‘cause my dad left, and she needed me, and I don’t want to… disappoint her. I don’t want to be a failure.” He wrinkled his nose. “But now she’s, like, proud of me for making friends, and I haven’t really made friends, because all that’s really going on is that she’s dating my boyfriend’s dad. And I just didn’t want to fuck things up with my family, but now I’ve been lying to them for so long, and it won’t it really fuck things up if I admit it all now?”

Holly leaned against his shoulder again. One small hand made its way into his, squeezing tightly. “She’s your  _ mom,”  _ she pointed out. “She’s not going to be disappointed in you for being happy. No matter who it's with. That's what moms are for. My mom asks me if I'm a lesbian all the time. Like, how am I supposed to know? I'm thirteen, woman! Give me some space!"

Jonathan laughed, squeezing her hand back. "She just wants you to be happy."

"I know," Holly said. She bumped their shoulders together with a smile. "Just like your mom wants for you."

Jonathan swallowed hard, staring down at his feet. "Okay, but what if… what if me being happy hurts her?" he asked. Holly's braid hit his shoulder. "Bad thought?" he guessed. She nodded firmly. "Okay, well. What if me being happy isn't the most important thing in this situation?"

Holly sighed, sounding very judgemental. Another hit with the braid. "To be clear, we're still talking about you marrying Nancy and Steve, right?"

"Yes?"

"Are you happy with them?"

"Yes," he answered automatically. "God, yes. I thought maybe I'd want to give it up, back at the beginning of everything, test a different life or something, but-" he shrugged, giving her a hopeless smile. "I don't want any life without them. I just grew into loving them even more."

Holly smiled back, something fierce shining in her eyes that reminded him of Nancy. "Then that's what matters. If you want to spend your lives together, you deserve it. You guys  _ deserve  _ to be happy." She leaned into his side. "And I wanna be your bridesmaid. So you better fucking get married."

"Okay." His voice was small, but he couldn't keep the hope from shining into it. "I guess I have to propose, then."

"Hell yeah!"

Karen stuck her head around the bottom of the staircase. "Language! What are you two up to?" Jonathan and Holly glanced at each other and burst out laughing. Karen raised an eyebrow. Her lips quirked into a smile, though.

"Don't worry about it," Jonathan said. He squeezed Holly's hand one last time before pulling her up. "Just Christmas miracles."

Holly followed him with a groan, but she was still grinning. "You're so fucking cheesy."

_ "Holly!" _

.

.

Robin picked up on the second ring. "H-"

"I'm proposing," Jonathan interrupted. Robin squealed loudly enough to make him cringe away from the receiver. "On the 21st," he added. "I'm gonna do it."

"Oh my God! Oh my God, wait- can I tell Kal? Have you told Kal? Oh my God, have you told your mom?"

Jonathan winced. "Kali, yes. Mom… haven't gotten to that yet." Robin groaned, but he continued before she could reprimand him. "I told Holly, though! Not on purpose, I was just depressed and she happened to be there, but that's progress, right?"

Robin sighed. "I  _ guess."  _ She paused. "But oh my God, you're proposing."

"I'm proposing!"

"Fuck, I'm gonna be your sister-in-law! Holy fuck!" She gave another muffled scream. It sounded like she had clapped a hand over her mouth. "God, I wish I could see Stevie's face. He's gonna flip. Get Holly to take pictures for me."

Jonathan laughed. "Okay, I'll ask." He grinned up at the ceiling of his room, feeling like an idiot. Downstairs, he could hear the echoes of dinner. He'd been called down a couple minutes ago. He should probably get up soon. "Hey, you know I love you, right?"

Robin's voice softened. "I love you too. I'd say be good to them, but-" her breath hitched, and she laughed wetly into the receiver. "-I know you will be. You always are." Jonathan's eyes stung. "Are you crying?"

"No. Yes." His breath caught in his throat. "You're gonna be the best sister-in-law ever."

"I can't wait," she said, her voice open and honest and so, so happy.

Jonathan's face hurt, but he kept grinning. He couldn't have stopped if he wanted to. God, he was so, so happy. "Me either. Wow. I don't think-" he closed his eyes, relishing the warmth that radiated through his chest. "I don't think I've ever been so excited to have the rest of my life still in front of me," he admitted.

Robin was quiet for a moment. "You're going to be so happy, Jon," she finally said. His eyes stung again. "So, so happy. I've waited a long time to see you like that."

"I've waited a long time to feel it. But it's- oh my God. I'm gonna get married." He grinned again, giddy. "I'm gonna get  _ married.  _ I'm, like, the least marriage-worthy man I've ever met. And I'm getting married." He kicked the bed with his heels. "Holy  _ shit,  _ Robs."

"Holy shit," she agreed. "You're the best. I love you, okay?"

Jonathan's grin didn't dim, but it softened. "I love you too. I have to go to dinner, though."

"Give Holly a hug for me!"

"Of course."

And so he did. She looked utterly baffled, but he just shrugged and said, "It's from Rob," and she lit up. He slid into his seat next to Nancy, giving her a smile. Under the table, Steve's foot nudged his.

Nancy poked his side. "What's got you so happy?"

"What? Can't I just smile?"

Her gaze was the most tender thing he'd ever seen. He had to duck his head away. "I wish you always would," she murmured in reply.

"I will." He snuck a glance at her from under his bangs. "Soon enough. I-" he paused, remembering Robin's words. "I'm going to be so, so happy."

.

.

The next morning, Jane walked in on Nancy climbing out of Jonathan's bed, which was a little awkward, but she just said, "Breakfast," and vanished, shutting the door behind her. Nancy, Jonathan, and Steve all stared at each other.

"Well," Jonathan said after a moment. "You heard her. Breakfast."

Steve ran a hand through his hair. "Shit.  _ Shit.  _ What if she tells your mom?"

"Then she tells my mom," Jonathan replied, a lot calmer than the alarm bells going off in his head. "It'll be okay."

Nancy reached out, lacing their fingers together. "You're okay with it?"

"Yeah." He tugged her in and held out his other arm, welcoming Steve into their embrace. "I love you guys. I don't want to hold our relationship back because I'm too scared anymore. I want  _ you." _

"You're so cheesy," Nancy said fondly, and then kissed the corner of his mouth. "I want you too, honey."

Steve sighed happily. "I'm in love with you."

"Aw." Jonathan had to hide his grin in Nancy's hair. "That's so funny. You wanna kiss me so bad it's  _ embarrassing." _

Steve shrugged and leaned over to kiss the top of his head. "You're perfect. Can't help it."

Jonathan hit him with the pillow.

Nobody said anything as they traipsed downstairs, so Jonathan gave them a shrug, strolling backwards towards the living room. He slammed into the wall and stumbled. “Shit!”

“Language!”

“Sorry, Ms Wheeler!” The conversation on the couch had halted. He turned around, making awkward eye contact with Will almost immediately. “Uh. Hi?”

Will gave him a thumbs up. Jonathan wasn’t really sure what that meant, so he just returned it and ducked into the kitchen, swiping a cup of coffee. He returned to the sitting area and found the biggest armchair- he and Steve had spent six minutes arguing over it last night, and finally just crammed themselves in next to each other (he’s starting to get genuinely confused how everybody is still construing them as platonic)- and tucked himself into it, sipping at his coffee. Will glanced over with a stilted smile. “Morning.”

“Morning.” He huddled down further in his chair and waved one hand. “Sorry for interrupting. I won’t listen.”

Jim cleared his throat. “Oh, it’s nothing you can’t hear. We’re getting another guest.”

“Oh, just in time for the holidays. Who?”

Something about Jim’s smile got a little more strained. “My daughter. Robin. She’s coming in from Indiana. Should be here by the-”

“The 21st?” Dustin asked, strolling in. Jim blinked.

Jonathan tried to cover his laugh with his coffee mug. Of fucking  _ course. _

“Can’t wait,” he said, his voice still lilting with obvious amusement. Oh, well. He tried. Will gave him a suspicious look.

“She’s bringing a, uh. A friend of hers.”

A friend. “Oh?” he asked, trying to keep his face from twitching. “Can’t wait to meet her.” Dustin snorted, settling in between Lucas and Max to throw an arm around them both. Jonathan resisted the urge to flip him off and returned Jim’s polite smile instead.

There was a loud exclamation from the doorway. Steve appeared in a whirlwind of various irritated noises, halting in front of the chair with his arms crossed. “Jesus, Wh- Byers!” Jonathan didn’t miss the stumble, but he just sipped at his coffee again, staring up at Steve with wide eyes. “You can’t let me have anything, huh?”

“I let you have the better bed.”

“You took it first, though.”

“It’s not my fault you took ten minutes to get your stuff upstairs.”

“You wouldn’t help me!”

“You were being a bitch about it!”

_ “Jonathan!” _

“Oh, come on, he deserved that!” he argued, but scooted over all the same so that Steve could tuck himself into the chair alongside him. One arm settled over his shoulders. Jonathan automatically leaned into it, smiling without meaning to. Dustin made a face at them. He flipped him off for real this time. Dustin returned it with no hesitation, and Jim knocked both their hands down, grumbling. “Sorry, Jim.”

“Yeah, sorry or whatever.”

Jim looked unconvinced by their apologies, which was probably fair. “Steve, your sister’s coming.” Steve lit up. His excitement jostled Jonathan, who almost spilt coffee on himself.

“Sorry, hon- Robin is coming? Robin? She’s coming?”

“She’ll be here on the 21st,” Jonathan informed him. Steve’s face lit up even more, if possible. Jonathan had to drink his coffee again to restrain from just kissing him right there. When he looked up, Will was still staring at him with something almost apprehensive. Jonathan ducked his head away again with a slightly dimmer smile.

Steve stole the mug from him. “Hey!”

“Oh? You want this? You want- careful, it’s gonna spill-”

“Give it back!”

“I want some!”

“Get your own, then!”

Steve pouted, cupping it between his hands. “But this is my favorite mug.”

“I hate you, Steven.”

“I hate you too, Anthony.”

Nancy miraculously plucked the coffee away before Jonathan tackled Steve onto the floor, taking their spot gracefully and crossing her legs. “Ooh. Fight, fight, fight,” she said, her tone flat. “Ooh, yes. Let’s go back to 2009.”

Steve made a face. “Let’s not.” Jonathan hit him with a pillow.

“Wait.” Max was looking between them, her face scrunched up. “You guys knew each other in 2009?”

Jonathan paused, glancing up at her. He was straddling Steve’s waist, he noticed distantly, and Steve’s hand was on his thigh, and this probably didn’t look very straight, huh. “We went to highschool together,” he said, kind of awkwardly. “Steve and I, uh-”

“I was an asshole,” Steve said cheerfully. “‘Twas before I was cured.”

“Yeah. And I hated you.”

“Mhm.” Steve pushed himself up on his elbows, grinning. “And then we got in a fight, and all was well.”

Jonathan made a face. “I didn’t speak to you for six months.”

“We got into a fight, didn’t speak for six months, and then all was well,” Steve amended. Jonathan nodded, satisfied, and shoved the pillow into his chest. “And then you didn’t fucking call me when you left for college-” Jonathan winced. He’d been so caught up in a whirlwind of stress and applications and the onslaught of insecurity that came from it all that he’d nearly convinced himself into slipping away and letting them be. Luckily, though, they’d dragged him out of it as soon as they got their hands on it, and now- well, now he was gonna get married. “-so.” He patted Jonathan’s chest. “Here we are.”

“Here we are,” Jonathan echoed, and then sat back so that he was between Steve’s legs, hugging the discarded pillow to his chest.

Steve poked his chest again. “Gay.”

“Aw. It really is just like high school.”

Max cleared her throat loudly, standing up. Jonathan’s head jerked towards the noise. Will looked stricken, suddenly. His forehead creased, and he opened his mouth, intending to ask if he was okay. Will stood, though, following Max out of the room. Dustin twisted to watch them go. He looked as bewildered as Jonathan felt.

Nancy glanced, concerned, between the door and where Mike was still splayed on the couch. “Are they okay?” she asked. Jonathan felt a brief flash of adoration at her worry- he’d spent his whole life taking care of Will, okay? Seeing his own protectiveness echoed back in the woman he loved was enough to make him want to marry her right then and there- but he pushed it aside as a priority for another time.

Mike gave a jilted laugh. “Yeah! Yeah, they just had to… yeah. I’m gonna go… check on them.” He followed Max and Will out of the room. Lucas and Dustin followed after a moment, the latter throwing Jonathan a sympathetic shrug. Jonathan and Nancy stared at each other with matching unease.

“I’m sure it’s okay,” Steve said. His hand slipped into Jonathan’s, squeezing tightly. Jonathan squeezed back and gave him a tight smile.

“I’m sure I won’t know either way,” he replied. It was more clipped than he’d intended.

Steve winced, pulling him closer. “C’mere.” Jonathan went easily. There was nothing as easy as falling into Steve. (Except falling into Nancy, maybe. Or both? ...Yeah, definitely both.) He pressed his head into Steve’s shoulder, feeling strong arms wrap around his waist.

Jim was still on the couch. His gaze was heavy on them. It didn’t feel intrusive, though. Nancy crawled down onto the floor and curled up against Jonathan’s side, one hand laying on his shoulder, the other sliding into Steve’s hair.

Steve didn’t say anything, for once. He just held him, and Jonathan just let himself be held, and it was okay.

.

.

He sought out Will after a day of frosty silence. He’d wanted to give him some space, let the tension pass, but instead it felt like it was strengthening with every passing moment, and Jonathan ended up in bed, tossing and turning, wondering how to fix a problem he couldn’t even identify. Steve was long asleep. Jonathan had taken the second bed tonight; his anxious spiral would only have kept Steve awake. He didn't need to feel guilty over anything else right now.

Will's face, drained and unnerved, flashed across the back of his eyelid, and he made up his mind. He levered himself out of bed as quietly as possible. The door still freaked as he opened it. Steve rolled over, mumbling incoherently.

The hallways felt barren in the silence. It was something about the winter; in the summer, nights were alive. The air danced in absence of light, buzzing with noise, the heat gracefully curling under doors and windows. The sky was rich, indigo or navy or burnt out amethyst, just as vibrant as the world it sprawled over. In winter, though, even the owls sounded like echoes. Winter nights were just still and black and faded.

He found Will on the back porch, staring up at the black winter sky.

“Hey.”

Will visibly swallowed. “Hey.”

Jonathan took a seat next to him and tilted his face up. The wind bit at his nose, but his eyes were already stinging anyway, so he just breathed it in. The rough chill rattled through his lungs like panic. “You lied,” he said quietly. Will glanced over. “You said you weren’t mad at me. I’m not an idiot, Will.”

A dark look passed over his brother’s face, and he hunched over his knees. “It’s nothing.”

“Yeah, well, clearly not.” Jonathan laid a hand on his back hesitantly, half his mind whispering up a windstorm of wrong this was. He wasn’t hesitant with Will. With Will, he’d always been able to set aside his weakness. Exchange for whatever strength he needed. He could have any kind of strength for Will. But clearly, that wasn’t his place anymore. So his touch stayed hesitant. “Look, buddy, I-” he hesitated. “I don’t know what’s going on here. I don’t know what I did. But I’m sorry, okay? Whatever it is, I’m so sorry.”

Will sniffled slightly. He didn’t lean into the touch, but at least he didn’t lean away. “You didn’t do anything.”

“Oh. Then…” the wind felt like it was scraping his throat away. “Why are you mad?”

“I told you, I’m not mad,” Will said. He reached out to grasp Jonathan’s knee tightly. It was a rough kind of contact, but it was contact, at least. “I’m not,” he said, but it sounded like he was trying to convince himself. “It’s just… hard. All of this is hard.”

“I want to help.”

Will laughed bitterly. “You can’t.” Jonathan winced back at that. “You wouldn’t want to, anyway. It’s… it’s just me being… God, I don’t know. I don’t know. I’m sorry.”

Jonathan’s tentative contact became more convictive, and he pulled Will into his side. “Hey, no. You don’t need to apologise to me.”

“I ignored you,” Will pointed out. “I’ve been ignoring you.”

Jonathan had picked up on that already, but the confirmation felt like a kick to the chest. He pulled Will closer to him on instinct. “That’s okay,” he said softly. “Whatever you need to-”

“Don’t start with that,” Will snapped, and Jonathan shut his mouth, blinking. “I don’t want to ignore you. I don’t like ignoring you.” Jonathan huffed out a tiny laugh against his brother’s shoulder. “I mean it. I miss you.”

Jonathan squeezed him. “I miss you too, buddy. But I mean it, okay?” Will’s face twisted up into a scowl, but Jonathan kept going. “Don’t tell me not to say it. You know it’s fair. You’re allowed to be mad. I just wanna know what I did-”

“I like boys,” Will burst out.

Jonathan paused. Thought about it. “Well,” he said, but then realised  _ well, yeah, _ might sound very rude, so he said, “Well, don’t we all,” instead, which wasn’t much better.

“Sorry, what?” Will pulled away, twisting towards him with bewilderment.

Jonathan blinked at him. “Uh.”

“Uh?”

“Uh?” He cleared his throat, running a hand through his hair. “I- yeah. Yeah, no, I stand by that. I like boys.”

“I like them,” Will repeated. “Like, I  _ like  _ them.” He said it slowly, enunciating each syllable, as if Jonathan wasn’t comprehending.

Jonathan was a little offended by that. He could understand basic conversations, thank you very much. “No shit, I thought you were just commenting on the human race,” he replied drily. Will looked baffled. “What, did you think I’d have a problem with it?”

Will glanced away.

“Oh, shit, you did.” Jonathan blinked hard, feeling a fresh wave of guilt crash over him. “Shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you think-”

“It’s okay,” Will interrupted. His voice was almost giddy. “It’s okay. Everything’s okay.” He was grinning at the snow. “I, uh- I’m dating Mike,” he offered shyly.

Their weird thing at the fireplace popped into his head, and he snorted. “Yeah, should’ve put that one together,” he muttered, earning a chuckle from Will, and before he could overthink it, he said, “I’ve been in a relationship for almost a decade.”

There was a pause as Will processed that.

“Wait, what?”

“I know, shocking, considering I’m bi-”

“More like considering you never told me!” Will looked ready to jump to his feet. There was something like betrayal pooling in his eyes. “What the hell? Ten years? Who-”

Jonathan reached out and put a hand over his mouth. “Shh. You’re gonna wake someone.” Will scowled at him over his hand, still looking ready to bite. “I was going to tell you, okay? I just… I was scared! It’s not  _ normal,  _ and I was so scared of it getting out in Hawkins, and then I was just afraid of you and Mom judging me, and then… then it just felt like too late, y’know? Because suddenly it had been six years and we were living together and talking about  _ marriage _ and  _ families  _ and all this shit that used to terrify me, and-” he sighed, letting his hand fall away. “I was just scared,” he said again. “Because suddenly everything that used to be scary seemed exciting, and I just… I didn’t want to change. I didn’t want you to think I changed. I just wanted to… to be okay, and not afraid, and be someone you could trust, and for some reason I lied to protect that. Don’t know why I thought that would work.” His throat was so tight that it ached. Will’s face had softened. “I just wanted to stay the same for you,” he whispered. “I didn’t want to be a freak.”

Will’s lip trembled. “Fuck, you’re gonna make me cry. I was supposed to be mad, dammit-” he threw his arms around Jonathan without another word, dragging him into a fierce hug.

“I’m sorry,” Jonathan said, kind of desperately, hanging on as tightly as he could. “I’m sorry. I should have been better, I’m sorry-”

“Shut  _ up,  _ Jonathan.” Will was definitely crying now. “Shut up. It’s okay. It’s okay.”

“I lied-”

Will rubbed his back, pulling him closer. Almost tender. Almost like how Jonathan used to hold him after his nightmares. “Yeah. But so did I, okay? We were scared. We don’t have to be scared anymore.” He took a deep breath, one that rattled from his chest into Jonathan’s lungs. “We don’t have to be scared anymore,” he repeated. “Trust me. We’re okay.”

Jonathan swallowed back the rest of his apologies and closed his eyes. “Okay,” he whispered. His voice was hoarser than he remembered. Was he crying too? “We’re okay.”

The frigid winter air cracked around them, its idyllic portrait shattering to let them create their own space. Will’s quiet sniffling slowed until they were breathing in steady tandem.

Jonathan shifted, pulling back to see his face. “Hey, Will?” Will hummed in acknowledgment. “My anniversary. It’s on the 21st.” He couldn’t fight down a smile. “I’m-” he fumbled for his pocket, for the rings he’d inherited from his mother’s parents, and pulled them out, the silver glinting in the drifting snow.

Will stared at it for a moment before it clicked. “Holy shit.” His mouth dropped open. “You- holy shit! You’re gonna-”

“Propose, yeah.” His smile grew into a grin, even though it strained the frozen muscles of his cheeks to aching. “I mean, we already knew it was gonna happen, we’ve talked about it, but… it’s still, like, the only thing I can think about, you know?” He looked down at the rings. He could hear the fondness in his own voice, but he couldn’t be as embarrassed as he wanted to be. “It’s… it’s everything I want.”

Will leaned over onto his shoulder with the casual familiarity that Jonathan had been stinging for. Both of them relaxed more at the contact. “Wow,” he said quietly. A furrow drew between his brows. “Wait. You’re proposing on the 21st?” Jonathan nodded. “How are you…” he trailed off. “Wait a minute, who-”

Jonathan cut him off, already snickering. “Come on, Will,” he teased. “Context clues.”

Will frowned. “That doesn’t- holy  _ fuck, are you dating Steve?”  _ The sudden realisation was hissed, Will’s eyes going wide as his voice arched up.

“Yes. Well.” Jonathan looked back down at the rings. “Yes and no.” He peered at Will in his peripheral vision. “Nancy, too.”

“Both of them?”

He nodded.

Will blinked again. “You’re dating both of them. Oh my God. You’re proposing to both of them.” His eyes widened. “You’re gonna marry Nancy. I’m- Mike and I have to find the old wedding plans. Just for kicks.”

Jonathan coughed awkwardly. “You and Mike need to  _ what?” _

“We planned your wedding!” Will exclaimed. He bumped their shoulders together. “When we were really little! I was sick of Dad or something, I don’t really remember, and I decided I wanted to move out. And we thought the most brilliant way to do that would be if you and Nance got married and got your own house.” Jonathan clapped a hand over his mouth to contain his burst of laughter, every glance at Will’s smug, euphoric grin just making him laugh harder.

“Oh, I gotta see that,” he managed. “Wow. I don’t even know how a three person wedding is going to work.”

Will tilted his head. “I guess you could like, stand in the best man spot, and then once Steve finishes his vows with Nancy, he could just like… turn around?” He choked out the end of his sentence through his fit of giggles. Jonathan had to bite down on his fist to muffle himself, almost toppling over onto his brother’s lap.

“Can you imagine?” he gasped out. “Like, we tell everyone it’s Nancy and Steve’s wedding, and they finish their vows, and he lifts her veil, and kisses her, and it’s the best moment of their goddamn lives, and then he just turns around and starts saying his vows  _ all over again-” _

“Oh, I’d  _ pay  _ to see Aunt Judy’s face,” Will said, and somehow that was enough to send them into hysterics, frantically shushing each other in the dead, cold quiet of the backyard. It felt a lot warmer now with Will leaning onto him. This was better. This was how it was supposed to feel.

Eventually, their laughter died down, and they sat staring up at the sky together. Jonathan sighed out through his nose, unable to keep the smile off his face. “Thank you,” he murmured.

Will’s face wrinkled. “Huh?”

“For being here.” He tapped his fingers on his knees. “Speaking of best men-”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t even ask yet?”

Will elbowed him in the ribs. “I said yes, asshole.” The bite of it was culled by the way his face was shining. “Of course.”

Jonathan shifted up so that he could pull his brother into a hug. “Thank God,” he sighed out. Will clung to him so tightly that it was hard to breathe, but he was okay with that. He was  _ happy. _ “I wouldn’t want anyone else.”

“Of course not,” Will scoffed. “I’m your brother. I have the right.”

Jonathan smiled into his shoulder, for once completely unbothered by Will being taller than him. “You have every right. I’m glad you don’t hate me.”

Will’s grip tightened. “Don’t be any idiot. Even when I thought you were homophobic, I didn’t hate you.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Jonathan muttered. It suddenly got very hard to breathe. “Will-” he choked out warningly.

“Oh, shit, sorry.” Will loosened his grasp, though it stayed secure. “But I could never, ever hate you, okay? Not even if I wanted to.”

It still stung to hear the way Will said that, the way it implied that he  _ had  _ wanted to, but Jonathan swallowed the ache and hugged him back just as tightly. He wasn’t going to get his happiness by letting misunderstandings scratch him up. He deserved to be happy, just like Holly said. He  _ deserved  _ it, goddammit. So he held Will and watched the moon and swallowed back the bitterness biting at his throat.

And for a while, he was just happy. He was just so, so happy.

.

.

“Oh, what’s this?” Nancy asked sleepily, wandering into the kitchen. Will caught Jonathan’s eye and smirked. Jonathan just rolled his eyes and turned around to offer his arms out. Nancy walked into them immediately and latched onto him.

He kissed her head. “Morning.”

“Mm. Morning.” She smiled at the kiss, then glanced over at Will with some kind of anxiety. Jonathan just kissed her forehead and let her go. Her eyes lit up with realisation, and then instantly settled back in pouty girlfriend mode. “Wait, no, I’m cold.”

He snickered, turning back to the counter. “I kind of need my hands for this, babe.”

“I’m more important than breakfast,” Nancy mumbled.

“You’ll change your mind if you don’t get breakfast.”

She didn’t argue with that- because he was  _ right- _ and sighed heavily instead, taking a seat at the kitchen table. “You’re mean to me.”

“Very,” Jonathan agreed, measuring out the flour.

Nancy scowled and crossed her arms tightly. “You’re not supposed to agree. You’re supposed to argue with me,” she insisted. She was always more petulant in the morning. Will was shaking with silent laughter as he flipped the bacon.

Jonathan sighed, but relented. “Fine. What’s a wife for if not to argue with, anyway?”

“Not your wife yet.”

“That’s not what you told Owen.”

“He called you my boyfriend!” Nancy whined.

Will cocked his head. “Wait, but-”

“Shut up, it wasn’t fair!”

Will laughed under his breath, turning back to the stove. “Okay. Whatever you say.” Jonathan gave him a little smile. He returned it with a blinding grin.

Nancy huffed. “Damn right, whatever I say,” she declared. “I’m right. Nobody is allowed to argue with me.”

“You wanted me to argue with you,” Jonathan pointed out.

Nancy paused, frowning. “Nobody but you is allowed to argue with me,” she decided with a firm nod.

Jonathan finished mixing up the batter and pushed it aside. “Does that mean I’m your favorite?” he asked, just as Steve wandered in. Nancy leapt up immediately and threw herself onto her other boyfriend, clinging to him with her arms and legs like she often did to Jonathan. “Aw! He gets Sloth Nancy!” She flipped him off without pulling her face out of Steve’s neck. He just snickered.

“I like Sloth Nancy,” Steve said, adjusting her weight to be more comfortable.

“That’s why you’re my clingy boyfriend.”

“You’re literally the clingiest person here, shut  _ up.” _

Nancy gasped and smacked his shoulder. “Take that back!” Steve just laughed, spinning them around to make her shriek. “Steven!”

Steve stumbled back, leaning against the counter. Jonathan groaned, tried to knock Nancy’s toes away, but to no avail- she just reached out and poked him with her sock. “Aw, leave Anthony alone, baby.”

“I’m going to fucking kill you,” Jonathan said mildly, taking out a very large knife to slice tomatoes.

“Aw. You wouldn’t.”

“But wouldn’t I?”

Steve kissed his shoulder. “No. You love me.”

“Okay, you’re right,” Jonathan agreed. He brought the knife up. “I can still maim you, though. Get my wife’s feet off the counter.”

“Not your wife yet,” Nancy singsonged. Steve set her down so that he could wrap his arms around Jonathan instead. “Okay, well. Now I’m bored.”

Will leaned back. “Can you come burn this bacon for me?”

Her eyes lit up. “Oh, yes! I can do that!” Will let her take over at the stove- terrible idea, and Jonathan would absolutely have protested if 1) Nancy didn’t look so thrilled and 2) Steve wasn’t pressing kisses all over the back of his neck.

“Steve,” he said, and pushed at him. Steve pulled back with a pout. “I’ll pay attention to you later,” he promised. “But I’m trying to cook.”

“I’m helping!”

Jonathan sighed, spinning around momentarily to take Steve’s face in his hands. “No, you’re distracting me,” he whispered, and then kissed him quickly. “I love you. Now stop being cute.”

Steve grinned. “Can I have another kiss first?”

_ “No.” _

He sighed, retreating to the table. “Why do you hate me?”

“Why are you both so pouty?”

“Why do you love us anyway?” Nancy cut in. She snagged a green onion from the counter and tossed it at him. “I want omelets. Can you make me omelets?”

Jonathan looked back down at the cutting board, grinning. “You always want omelets.” Nancy paused, trying to come up with a comeback, but just ended up throwing another scallion. “You’re wasting them, stop it.”

“We can buy more. Steve and I can go grocery shopping later!”

“Yeah,  _ no.” _

Nancy sighed and went back to the bacon. True to her word, it was slightly charred, but she managed to mostly save it. “We wouldn’t get lost this time,” she promised.

“Yeah, no, I’m not worried about you getting lost,” Jonathan replied. “I’m worried about you buying every single brand of cereal because you don’t know which is the best.”

“First of all, it was mac n’ cheese, not cereal-”

“That’s worse! Mac n’ cheese is all the same!”

Nancy rolled her eyes. “You’re just mad because Steve wouldn’t make dinner for a while,” she pointed out. Jonathan didn’t argue.

Will snorted. “Do you guys ever actually eat real food?” he asked, pulling out the cheese grater. Nancy, Jonathan, and Steve all glanced at each other and decided not to answer. They were, after all, functional adults very concerned with their health.

.

.

Apparently, Will and Jonathan’s decision to make breakfast (featuring Nancy’s burnt bacon) was too much of a hit, because they got roped into making dinner, too. Karen, Jim, and Dustin helped, but the kitchen got crowded quickly, and somehow Steve ended up using the grater for tomatoes, and there were two different types of pasta, and who the hell made lasagne? And then Steve found champagne, and there was an intense argument between him and Jonathan over whether lasagne was meant to rhyme with champagne or champagne was meant to rhyme with lasagne- everybody else upheld that they were completely different words, but the argument was eventually settled in Steve’s favor with a round of shots (Will’s idea, and Joyce’s most disappointed sigh to date). Dinner passed loudly and slightly buzzed- although it became more than slight as the evening dragged on- as a picnic on the living room floor, the newly decorated Christmas tree getting needles in Holly’s hair. She kept dropping them in Dustin’s ravioli, and he kept throwing craisins off the salad at her, and Jonathan spent the whole meal laying across Nancy’s lap complaining about the Inkheart movie. So all in all, it was a pretty great meal.

Joyce guilted Mike, Lucas, and Dustin into helping her clean the kitchen- Jonathan would have helped, but he was stumbling, so his mom just patted his shoulder and told him through a laugh to sit down. He ended up sitting on top of Steve as they watched Barbie Mariposa- Max’s idea- which was very enjoyable. He liked sitting on Steve. Or with Steve. He liked standing with Steve, too, and laying with Steve, and sleeping with Steve (both literally and as an innuendo, but he was focusing on the literal), and pretty much everything with Steve. He leaned back until his lips grazed Steve’s ear. “I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you too,” Steve whispered back, and then, louder, “Look, it’s you!” and pointed at Zinzie. So naturally, Jonathan rolled off him onto the floor.

“Ow!” He made a face and stayed there, sprawled out on the carpet.

Nancy sighed as she knelt next to him, but there was amusement in her eyes. Jonathan’s face relaxed as she brushed his bangs out of the way, his irritation melting into wide-eyed adoration. “You’re an idiot,” she told him softly.

“Mhm.”

She rolled her eyes with a smile and patted his cheek. “You wanna get back on the couch?”

Jonathan thought about it. “No, not really. I like the floor. It’s a nice floor.”

“That’s true. It’s a very nice carpet.”

“I want a carpet like this. How much do you think this carpet costs?”

Nancy hummed. “Probably too much.” Jonathan sighed sadly.

His head lolled to the side. “I used to sleep on the floor when I was little,” he said, already on a different train of thought. Nancy’s brows pinched. “Only when I was in trouble, though. My dad used to lock me out of my room.” He laughed. “Isn’t that funny?”

“Not really,” she replied, pulling his head into her lap. Jonathan hummed.

“I think,” he said, and then paused, forgetting where he was going with that. A few minutes later, he spoke up again. “I think Jim is cooler than Lonnie.”

Will glanced down from where he was curled up on the sofa. “Pretty sure everyone thinks that,” he pointed out.

Jonathan nodded solemnly. “But I hadn’t said it yet. Jim is…” he struggled for the word. “Grumpy. No, wait, I mean- well, I mean yes, but-” he frowned. “Misleading? Soft… soft inside. I want him to… take me to IKEA.”

“IKEA?” Will echoed. Jonathan nodded. “Okay. Jim, you wanna take him to IKEA sometime?”

Jim looked like he wasn’t sure what to say. “Uh. Yeah. Sure, Jonathan. I’ll take you to IKEA.” 

Jonathan clapped and then grabbed onto Nancy’s ponytail. “Soft.” He tugged on it gently. “Lay down with me.”

She obliged, curling up against his side on the floor, and Jonathan watched the movie with wide eyes, enthralled and absorbing absolutely none of it. “I want blue hair,” he whispered to Nancy.

She patted his chest. “No, you don’t.”

“You’re right, I don’t,” he sighed. “But wouldn’t it be cool if I did?”

Holly rolled her eyes. “Can someone make him shut up?”

“I hate you, munchkin,” Jonathan informed her, and then immediately tacked on, “Not really. Can you be a bridesmaid at my wedding?”

Holly pretended to think about it. “Okay, sure. I’ll be a bridesmaid.”

“Hell yeah!”

Karen pinched her nose. “You know what? I’m not even calling that one.”

.

.

He woke up with a headache and an overwhelming sense of regret.

“Fuck,” he muttered into his pillow. At his back, Steve laughed, considerately staying quiet about it. “God. Fuck. I hate myself.”

“Aw, no.” Nancy cupped his face in her hands, kissing his nose. “I love you. You’re so precious.” Jonathan pulled a face. “Stop that. I adore you.”

“You’re so cheesy.”

“What’s a wife for if not to be as embarrassingly in love with you as possible?”

Jonathan paused. “You’re not my wife yet, though?”

“Gah.” Steve shuddered. “Don’t switch that joke around. That was weird.”

“Agreed.” Nancy kissed Jonathan’s nose again, just to watch him crinkle it up, and then leaned over to meet her lips with Steve’s. “But! Now I know I  _ will _ be a wife, so.”

Jonathan rolled his eyes. “You already knew that, genius.”

“Yeah. But you don’t always ask my sister to be a bridesmaid at your wedding,” she said fondly. Jonathan flushed. “It was sweet! My mom is definitely suspicious now, though.” She snuggled in close again. “It’s cold. Blanket cocoon, please.” Jonathan laughed a little bit, pulling the blankets in tightly around them.

“I love you guys so much,” he murmured, kissing Steve and then twisting back around to kiss Nancy too. “Like… so much.” He tried and failed to come up with something stronger, but neither of them seemed to mind.

“I love you too,” Nancy replied, something about her face and voice so incredibly soft that Jonathan’s heart stopped beating. It was so fucking blessed, getting to see her like this. Strong, sharp-witted, badass Nancy Wheeler, staring up at him with those big blue eyes, wearing Steve’s old shirt, entwined so tightly into his arms- it was a sight. She was so goddamn wonderful.

“You’re an angel,” he said. Nancy turned pink and swiped at his shoulder. “It’s a compliment, Nance-”

“Well- you’re an angel too. So there.”

“Well, Steve is an angel too. So there.”

Nancy didn’t even hesitate. “Well, obviously. But we knew that.”

Steve scoffed, but Jonathan could feel him smiling against his neck. “You two are so dramatic,” he said. Nancy and Jonathan locked eyes for a second and then immediately scrambled in unison, trapping Steve underneath them and tickling him relentlessly. “Wait, no, no- I’m the love of your fuckin’ lives! Don’t do this!”

“Admit you’re an angel, then,” Jonathan challenged.

“Fine!” Steve smacked at their hands. “Fine, fine, I’m an angel!” He waited until they had drawn back to add, “So are you two, th- No, no, leave me alone!”

The three of them had tumbled into a jumbled mess, tangled together and soaked in the mid-morning sun, when the door creaked open. Nancy lifted her head, peering at their interruption. “Oh, Ms Byers! Hi!”

“Nancy, Steve,” she greeted. “Is it possible I could have a minute alone with Jonathan?”

Well, that wasn’t at all terrifying to hear.

Jonathan gave them pleading looks, but was ignored, his partners drawing away and heading for the hallway. He sat up in bed, scooting so that his back was pressed against the headboard. His stomach twisted uncomfortably at the look on his mom’s face. “Is something wrong?” he ventured, voice smaller than intended.

Joyce settled herself onto the bed across from him, giving him a smile. “No, honey. Nothing’s wrong.” Jonathan pressed his lips together thinly. He was just about through with the lying recently. “Okay, well,” she amended, “Nothing’s wrong with me. I just… needed to talk to you."

Jonathan tried for a light tone. “Well, that’s not ominous at all.”

“I was talking to your brother,” she started, and every bone in Jonathan’s body calcified at once.

“I’m sorry.”

“And- what?” she blinked, looking bewildered. “No, don’t be sorry. That’s not… he told me you two talked about something, but he didn’t tell me what. He said it was your business.”

Jonathan’s shoulders relaxed. “Oh. Okay. Sorry, yeah, continue.” Joyce eyed him strangely for a moment, but kept going.

“He just-” she sighed. “He’s worried about you, okay? He said he’s afraid of… of losing you.” Jonathan blinked. “Said he feels like…”

“Like what?”

Joyce scooted closer. Her hands reached out, resting on his knees. “Do you remember when you left for college?” Jonathan frowned, letting his hands fall over hers, but nodded. “Will was… oh, he was a  _ wreck.”  _ She laughed slightly. “Every day, he’d sit with his phone right next to him, just waiting for you to call. Every time you texted, he’d drop everything just to respond. Even his homework- especially his homework, what am I saying?” She shook her head, still upholding her trembling little smile. “You called every Friday, the same time. But that didn’t stop him from sitting there and waiting. And eventually…”

“Eventually, I forgot to call,” Jonathan finished. Joyce smiled sadly, finishing his sentence without saying anything. “Oh. I didn’t…”

“You didn’t realise. I know.” She squeezed his hands. “And the next Friday, you guys stayed on the phone for  _ hours.  _ But he still came to me, all torn up about it, asking if you were going to forget him.” Jonathan ducked his head, his eyes screwing shut. His chest felt like he’d swallowed cement. “He’s worried, baby,” she said softly. “He said that he thinks maybe you don’t trust us anymore.”

Jonathan’s breath was audibly shaking as he exhaled. “I do. God, I do, I just…” He grit his teeth. “Fuck. I just… I was just scared, okay? I trusted you. I trust you guys more than anything, more than anyone-” He ran a hand through his hair, gripping it tightly. “Okay. Okay. Fuck it.”

Joyce squeezed his knees again tightly. “Honey-”

“I’m getting married,” he interrupted, almost desperate. “Well, proposing, actually. But it’s already confirmed, pretty much.”

She went utterly silent.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, no, Jonathan, don’t… don’t apologise, I-” she stumbled over her words. Her face had drained of color. “To who?” He ducked his head, eyes falling shut again. “...Nancy?” Her voice was timid, as if she was afraid of toeing a line.

“Nancy,” he confirmed in a whisper. “Nancy and Steve.”

Joyce didn’t say anything for a long moment. He wanted to look up at her, to see her face, but he couldn’t- if she was  _ disappointed _ again, he wouldn’t be able to handle it. Her hands have gone slack.

“Please don’t hate me.”

_ “Jonathan!” _ He jumped, head jolting up. She was glaring at him, her eyes messy with tears, as her grip on his knees tightened again. “Don’t you dare say that, ever again,” she said fiercely. “Never. You’re my  _ son.  _ How could I- you’re my baby. I could never hate you.” She said it like it was foreign, like she barely understood the words, and Jonathan couldn’t help the way he collapsed forward into her. She wrapped him up in a hug, pressing kiss after kiss to his head. “I love you,” she whispered. “I love you so much. Now. And forever. And always. My Lord. I’m happy for you. I’m so, so happy for you, Jonathan. I love you so much.”

Jonathan was shaking. Crying? He didn’t know why he was crying, but he was just so overwhelmingly  _ relieved,  _ and he curled forward even further, clinging to her like a child. He hadn’t hugged his mom like this in a long time. “I love you too,” he managed. “I love you. And- and I love them, and they’re good, they’re so good-” his breath hitched. “I’ve- I’ve waited my whole life to be happy. And they’re- God, I’m gonna be so  _ happy,  _ Mom. I don’t even…” He laughed through his tears, sniffling. “I don’t even know who I’d be without them.” 

She cupped his face with the same steadfast determination that she’d always fought so hard to cling to. “You’re going to be so happy,” she echoed back to him, like a vow. “You are a good person, baby, and a great man. You’re going to make them happy too. I know it.”

“You’re not mad that I lied to you?” His voice was small, but she just smoothed back his hair, smiling through the tears still coursing down.

“I’m not mad,” she promised. “I wish you hadn’t, but I’m not mad, okay?”

He nodded slowly. “Okay.” It was easier to breathe now, like just telling her had taken a physical weight off his chest. “I’m still sorry, though.”

She patted his cheek. “You always are.”

“Hey!”

“It’s because you’re kind, it’s not an insult!” He hadn’t heard her laugh that genuinely the entire trip. He suddenly couldn’t keep himself from breaking into a blinding grin. “You do know you’re going to have to tell me the whole story now, right?”

Jonathan groaned. “God, no, please.” She gave him a look. “...We have a cat.”

_ “You have a cat?” _

Nancy’s voice was muffled from the other side of the door. “Why is  _ that _ what made you shout?”

Joyce scoffed. “Oh, Jonathan’s a terrible liar, I knew  _ something  _ was going on-”

“Hey, wait-”

“-but I didn’t expect the cat!”

Jonathan rolled his eyes, the stupid grin still on his face. “If you two are eavesdropping anyway, you might as well come in,” he called.

The door creaked open. Nancy peered inside, looking sheepish. “We weren’t eavesdropping the whole time,” she defended. “Steve heard you crying, he got worried.”

Jonathan wrinkled his nose. “That’s gay.”

“Literally yeah,” Steve agreed, closing the door behind him. He crossed the room, hovering by the bedside for a moment before Jonathan tugged him down. One of Steve’s arms slid around his waist automatically, a kiss landing on his temple. He flushed. His mom was like, less than a foot away. But then Nancy slid in on his other side and tossed her legs over his lap with a confident kiss to his jaw, so.

So he just turned more red. He didn’t have any other options, as far as he was aware.

Nancy pulled out her phone. “Okay, so this is Marinette,” she explained, holding out a photo of the cat laying on their bed, taking up as much space as possible (because she was a prissy little bitch, but Jonathan wasn’t allowed to say that or else Steve got mad). “Ignore that the bed isn’t made, it’s because your son gets up last and he’s never made a bed in his life.” Jonathan’s mouth dropped open. Nancy gave him an innocent, charming little smile.

Okay, it wasn’t very innocent, because Nancy Wheeler was anything else, but it was certainly charming. Charming enough that he instantly forgot he was offended and leaned in to kiss her forehead instead. “What is a wife for but to bully me?”

“Mm. Not your wife yet.”

Steve snorted. “Are you guys planning to make that joke every day until the wedding?” Nancy and Jonathan glanced at each other and nodded. “That’s cute.”

“You’re cute. Hey, wait.” He glared at each of them. “Stop that. You can’t flirt when my mom is here, that’s weird.”

Joyce laughed, handing Nancy her phone back. “It’s okay. I like seeing you happy.” Jonathan’s eyes stung again, which was  _ so _ unfair, and he promptly hid against Steve’s shoulder. “Are you crying again?”

“Maybe!”

“Aw.” Steve kissed his head. “It’s okay, babe. I love you.”

Jonathan glared up at him. “I love you too.”

“Well, don’t sound so excited about it.”

Jonathan groaned, but he couldn’t keep from smiling against Steve’s shirt, even as they all laughed at him. There was nothing like being happy, he thought. He breathed out and relished in the taste of it. This moment was contentment. Complete, unconditional contentment.

He could be happy, he told himself. He could be happy now. He’d waited long enough.

.

.

That night at dinner, he and Nancy sat on either side of Steve, the three of them whispering among themselves.

“Blatantly gossiping about everyone else,” Dustin said, stealing the serving bowl of mashed potatoes and eating directly from it. “High school romance.”

Hopper gave them a weird look, but nobody said anything about it.

.

.

He woke up to something very heavy landing on top of him. “Fuck!”

“Fuck!”

“What the- Kali?” He instantly stopped thrashing and threw his arms up around her, pulling her in close. “Oh my God,  _ Kal-” _

She laughed into his shoulder. “I missed you too, Jon.”

“I missed you so much.” He let go and let her scoot back so that they could sit knee-to-knee on top of the bedspread. “How was Indiana? Did your dad call you any more slurs?”

She rolled her eyes. “No, just the one,” she replied drily before dropping her voice. “And you? Have you…”

He grinned.

_ “Oh my God!” _

Jonathan winced sharply at how high her voice went. “Jesus Christ, you don’t have to be so loud-” Kali slapped a hand over his mouth.

“Stop bitching for ten seconds and let me be proud,” she said sternly. “I’m proud of you. I love you.”

Jonathan waited semi-patiently for her to pull her hand away. “I love you too, Kal,” he said once she did. “You’re the best. Seriously.” He reached out to squeeze her hands. “They took it… really well,” he added, laughing a little. “It’s all kind of ridiculous when I look at it in hindsight. I mean, ten years? For, like, a hug and complete acceptance? I don’t...” He trailed off, shaking his head. Kali’s eyes were suspiciously wet.

“I’m really happy for you,” she said, her voice kind of thick. “So, so happy for you-” and she dove into another hug that he happily accepted. “Okay, come on!” she exclaimed, hopping back and holding out her hand. “Robs is gonna be so excited to see you!”

Jonathan had no choice but to stumble out of the room after her. “Wait, wait, Kal- shit, I’m gonna fall-” she ignored him, because when did Kali ever listen to anyone, really, and pulled him down the stairs. Miraculously, he didn’t fall. Unfortunately, ten seconds later, another weight slammed into him and he went down.

“Sorry!” Robin exclaimed breathlessly, but both of them were laughing.

Jonathan hugged her tightly right there on the floor with Kali and Steve cackling above them and her hair tickling his nose. “Hi, Robs.” He could barely breathe through his own grin. “I missed you, oh my god-”

“I missed you too, motherfucker, I missed you so much-”

Nancy’s voice chimed in above them, amused. “It was literally four days, you guys,” she pointed out. Robin and Jonathan both glared up at her. She put her hands up in surrender. One of them was clasped with Kali’s, so her argument was weak anyway.

Robin scrambled up and stuck her hand out to help him. “Stop leaving me for holidays,” she said sternly. Jonathan nodded in solemn agreement. “Okay. Where’s my dad? Dad!” She went running off into the living room. There was a crash. Jonathan, Nancy, and Kali all winced.

Steve stuck his head around the corner. “You good, Rob?”

“Yeah!” she called. “Just, uh- just- don’t worry about it.”

The next few hours are spent making a massive breakfast- Jonathan and Steve are excluded because they’re “not trustworthy anymore” (the champagne/lasange argument was evidently not as amusing to Jim as everyone else) and Joyce is excluded because she’s never been trustworthy in the kitchen, so the three of them work to put the tree back up, listening to Robin’s frequent apologies from the kitchen. Jonathan had to wrestle several of Steve’s presents out of his hands and back under the tree.

“Steve, it’s only the 21st-”

“Okay, but this looks cool, I wanna open it- it’s from you! I gotta open it-”

“No, you can’t, you little  _ bitch-” _

“Jonathan!”

“Sorry, Mom.”

Steve opened the present. “Aw, babe-” he looped the scarf around Jonathan’s neck, pulling him in for a kiss. “It’s so cute.”

Jonathan slipped his arms around Steve’s waist, ignoring the way Mike was gaping at them from the doorway. Will snuck up and put both hands over his boyfriend’s mouth to, presumably, keep him from shouting something. “Kali taught me how,” he admitted. “Nance always complains about you stealing her pink scarf, so-” he kissed him quick again. “It’s really a gift for her.”

“I’m still gonna steal it,” Steve said. His eyes were soft.

Jonathan smiled. “I know.”

There was a loud sigh behind them, and something hit the back of his shoulder. “Jonathan,” his mom said, somewhat sternly, mostly amused, “I still need your help with the tree.” Jonathan groaned and pulled away from Steve to keep putting the ornaments back up. Only a few had shattered, thank God, and nobody had brought anything sentimental on the trip, but Steve still muttered curses to Robin every five seconds. Jonathan kept accidentally catching the hooks under his fingernails. “How is that even possible?” Joyce asked, openly staring as he struggled to pull a bauble out from his ring finger.

He sighed and gave up, sticking his hand out to her. She tugged it off easily and hung it up. Jonathan’s apology was cut off by someone slamming into his back. “Ah, Jesus!” He stumbled. “Why does this keep happening today?”

Will laughed loudly in his ear, bright and authentic and bursting. He couldn’t help but grin at the sound. “Happy anniversary, idiot,” he said. Jonathan twisted around to pull him into a hug. “You guys are literally disgusting, but at least you’re disgusting together,” Will added fondly.

Jonathan smacked the back of his head. “We’re not disgusting,” he defended.

“Yes we are.”

“Shut up, Steve.”

Will pulled back, hands on his shoulders.  _ Tonight?  _ he mouthed, and Jonathan thought his face might break from his smile. He nodded. Will hopped in place a little. Jonathan just pulled him into a hug again.

.

.

He could remember a conversation with Kali, six months after he met her in his freshman Film Composition class. The two of them had been sprawled out on the green doing homework, except they’d really been exchanging jokes, and jokes turned into anecdotes, and anecdotes turned into stories, and it had been so easy.

“Anthony, huh?” she said, shoving their shoulders together. “Anthony Jonathan… what’s your last name? Unless there’s two of those, too?”

“Byers.”

“Anthony Jonathan Byers,” she continued with a laugh. “A man of mystery.”

He rolled his eyes. Scribbled out one of her notes to make her yelp. “I wouldn’t say mystery. I’m pretty open.”

“No you’re not.” She patted his hand. “But that’s okay. You’ll figure it out.” There was a little pause, both of them writing, listening to the game of ultimate frisbee at the other end of the green. Someone went falling to the ground.

Jonathan pointed. “That’s my boyfriend.”

She looked exactly like Will when she rolled her eyes with a teasing grin like that. It made Jonathan grin back. “Of course it is.” Another pause. “Thought you were dating that girl from the library.”

Somehow, in Jonathan’s silence, she figured it out.

“Both?”

“Both of them, too.”

Kali just smiled. “You really are a man of mystery, aren’t you, Anthony?” He shrugged. “Come on, tell me something else.”

“Well.” Jonathan paused, thinking. “Nancy and Steve- my partners- they don’t know my first name. It’s just you and my family.”

Kali’s grin softened. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He fidgeted, swallowing nervously. “Telling people stuff like that is… it’s scary.”

“Isn’t everything?”

“Huh?”

Kali took his hand. “Everything’s scary, Jonathan. You don’t have to stop being scared.” She squeezed for a moment. “You just have to do it anyway.”

“Mm. I have anxiety.”

“Okay, dork. But you have me.”

And six months in, that already meant everything.

.

.

“You don’t have to stop being scared,” he said to himself in the mirror. “You just have to do it anyway.” He breathed in slowly. “You just have to do it anyway,” he repeated with more conviction. “Do it anyway.”

He’d told his mom. He’d told Will. He’d told  _ Holly,  _ for fuck’s sake. He could do this. He’d broken ten years of silence for this. He’d spent ten years falling off the couch of an apartment full of crumbled Pringles for this. He wanted to keep getting accidentally pushed off that couch for the rest of his life. He wanted to have way too much mac and cheese in his pantry and listen to Steve play Ariana Grande in the shower and celebrate Christmas with their family every year. He didn’t totally want to see the look of Karen’s face when she realised she was right about him and Nancy, but he did want the hug he knew he’d get after.

Of course it was scary. He was about to change his life.

He wanted to do it anyway.

He bounded back into the living room, feeling giddy. Kali and Robin had stolen the big armchair. Steve was slumped at their feet pouting about it. Will glanced up from where he was on the couch, looking at something on Nancy’s phone with her, and his eyes lit up. Jonathan grinned back, bouncing in place. “Hey, Nance? Steve?” he asked. “Can, uh-” he swallowed hard. Kali’s mouth dropped open slightly. “Can we talk for a minute? Outside?”

Nancy and Steve glanced at each other, but stood up to follow him. Robin gave him a thumbs up as he left and he flipped her off with a blown kiss.

“So what’s this about?” Nancy asked, closing the door behind them.

Jonathan shifted awkwardly. They were both staring at him, clearly bewildered, the wind turning their noses pink. Steve was wearing the scarf he made him. Nancy was wearing the sweater she stole out of his luggage. They looked so messy, and so perfect, and so  _ his  _ that he had to bite his lip to keep tears out of his eyes. They came anyway.

“Oh, hey-” Steve reached out. “Are you okay?”

“I’m okay,” he replied thickly. He smiled. “I’m so okay. I just- I wanted to give you guys your anniversary gifts.”

Nancy and Steve glanced at each other. “Okay,” Nancy said slowly. “I thought we were celebrating when we got back to New York?”

Jonathan stuck his hands in his pockets. “No, yeah, we are, I just…” he had to duck his head for a second. “I wanted to give you something. I, uh. I think you’ll like it.”

“Okay?” Steve stepped forward, but Jonathan shook his head. “Uh-” he and Nancy exchanged another look. Their hands clasped together. “What is it, babe?” Jonathan almost melted when those eyes landed on him again.

He forgot to talk for a moment. “Right.” He licked his lips. “I- I gotta talk first.” Nancy’s eyes lit up with something like hope. “When I met you two, I was… I was a mess. I had spent sixteen years telling myself that- that, you know, it was okay that I only had my family. My family was enough. But that’s not… that’s not how that works. I needed someone. I needed  _ you.” _ His voice was a little choked, but he pushed on. “When I left for college, and I thought things were over between us, it was the worst three weeks of my life. Seeing you again, holding you again, it was… it was coming home. For ten years, seeing you has been coming home. And at eleven years, at sixteen years, at twenty years, I’ll always want to come home to you. Even when I had a bad day, even when we have a fight, even when Steve steals my label maker-” he got a laugh out of them, and something about their bright grins, about the hand Nancy had clasped tightly over her mouth, made the words tumble out faster. “-I’ll always come home. I might be scared sometimes, because I’m scared of everything, but I’ll still come home. I’ll still want to come home, as long as it’s with you.” He took a deep breath. “So, I guess what I’m saying…” he took a step closer, hand folding around the box in his pocket. “What I’m saying is I love you. More than anything.”

“More than your label maker?” Steve joked, his voice choked by the tears running down his face.

Jonathan had to take a shaky breath. “So much more,” he answered quietly. “You’re my partners, and my best friends, and my family. I want to come to family reunions with you every year. I want to invite your parents to our apartment for Thanksgiving. I want to see the look on my mom’s face when she meets her grandchildren for the first time. I want Holly to be a bridesmaid at my wedding.” Nancy laughed through her hand and her tears. Jonathan closed his eyes for courage and took a deep breath before he pulled out the box and dropped down to one knee. “I want to make you so, so happy,” he finished. “Marry me?”

“God,  _ yes,”  _ Nancy exclaimed, and Steve took the entire box out of his hand, and she yanked him up to his feet, slotting their lips together hard. “Yes, yes, yes, Jonathan, yes-”

Steve slung an arm around Jonathan’s waist and reeled him in, pulling the two of them apart. “Give me your hand, Nance,” he said softly. He slid the ring onto her, the silver glinting in the snow. Jonathan leaned his head onto Steve’s shoulder and together they pulled her in. “Yes,” Steve added belatedly. He kissed Jonathan over Nancy’s head and for once she didn’t grumble about it. “Yes. I love you, Jonathan Wheeler-Byers.”

“I love you too,” Jonathan whispered, his chest swelling with too much warmth to speak. In the big Ohio yard, he suddenly felt like a spark, like a star, a golden explosion across the snowy deck. “I love you so, so much.”

Nancy kissed his jaw. “Jonathan?”

“Hm?”

She smiled. “You already make me so, so happy. You always have.”

“You always will,” Steve finished. “No goodbyes?”

“No goodbyes,” Jonathan agreed.

Nancy laughed into their shoulders. “We’re shitty at goodbyes, anyway.”

.

.

When they left, Jim pulled Jonathan into a rough, tight hug that knocked all the breath out of him. “You be good to my boy,” he said. Steve rolled his eyes dramatically.

Jonathan just smiled. “Of course,” he answered, feeling completely, utterly open. “Always.”

Always. Nancy, Jonathan, and Steve.

“I knew it,” Karen whispered. The hug was worth it, though.

They heaved Steve’s bags into the car with some difficulty, waved again, hugged everyone again- Robin knocked Jonathan over again, into the snow, because she was evil, and then Will did too, because he liked to hear Jonathan’s confused yelp- and piled in altogether. Jonathan pulled Nancy into his side in the backseat. Steve glared at him from behind the wheel.

Jonathan rolled his eyes. “What’s a wife for if not to cuddle?”

“Not your wife yet,” Nancy said. She kissed him soundly. “I love you.” She blew Steve a kiss in the mirror. “I love you too.”

“Love you, Nance,” Steve said sweetly. “And love you, Anthony.”

“I fucking hate you,” Jonathan replied, his voice flat.

Steve shrugged. “Well, I tried.” Nancy rolled her eyes again. “We’re still celebrating when we get back, right?”

“Can we play-”

“Not if you make the joke,” Nancy interrupted, but her grin was unwavering at the sound of both her boys laughing. “You’re terrible, Jonathan Wheeler-Byers.”

“Oh, but you’re beautiful, Nancy Wheeler-Byers,” he replied, sliding a hand up to cup her face. Steve sighed from the front seat.

She kissed him like her life depended on it. 

**Author's Note:**

> if you made it through that........... impressive, first of all, and second of all, thank you!! i hope you enjoyed it!! i really wanted to get a little more backstory or a scene of christmas morning, but the words just... aren't coming, and this is already my longest oneshot ever. (pretty proud of myself for that, actually!) i'm actually very happy with how this turned out, all in all. i hope you guys enjoy it! let me know if you want to see me dabble in this universe a little more in the future. i have to say i'm tempted.


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